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Rumored WWE Departure Officially Confirmed
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- Rumored WWE Departure Officially Confirmed
Ridge Holland's tenure with WWE has come to an end, as the company has officially moved his profile to the alumni section of its website. This move confirms his departure, which was reportedly an early termination of his contract. The former rugby league player's deal was originally set to expire on November 14, 2025, but the company opted to end the agreement ahead of schedule.
According to a report from Fightful Select , the 37-year-old's early termination was a result of recent social media posts he made. Holland, real name Luke Menzies, recently stated on X (formerly Twitter) that he felt he had been "hung out to dry" by WWE. This public criticism reportedly led WWE to fire him, viewing the posts as a breach of contract.
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Holland's frustration stemmed from WWE informing him in mid-October that his contract would not be renewed, a decision made while he is unable to wrestle due to injury. In his post, Holland also mentioned his financial stress, noting he was unsure how he was going to pay his mortgage.
He is currently recovering from a Lisfranc foot injury, which he sustained in September while competing for TNA Wrestling as a representative for WWE. It is also believed he may require neck fusion surgery.
Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Radio that WWE management feels Menzies should have anticipated his release and adjusted his finances accordingly. This perspective is based on the fact that Holland reportedly accepted a $200,000 pay cut when he signed a new one-year deal in November 2024. Meltzer also claimed that WWE had been planning to release Holland in 2024 before he agreed to the new, lower-paying contract.
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Ridge Holland's WWE Tenure
Holland, a former professional rugby player, signed with WWE in May 2018. He was drafted to SmackDown in the 2021 WWE Draft and made his main roster debut by aligning with Sheamus. The two, along with Butch (Pete Dunne), formed the popular faction The Brawling Brutes. The group competed in high-profile matches, including a WarGames match at Survivor Series in 2022.
After the Brawling Brutes disbanded in late 2023, Holland returned to the NXT brand. He was placed in a storyline where he was portrayed as accidentally injuring other wrestlers, which led to him announcing an indefinite hiatus from in-ring competition in March 2024.
He later joined Chase University, winning his first WWE title, the NXT Tag Team Championship, with Andre Chase. Holland turned heel by attacking Chase at NXT No Mercy, leading to an Ambulance match at NXT Halloween Havoc on October 27, 2024, which Holland won.
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Holland's exit follows the conclusion of his last major program in NXT. After defeating Andre Chase at Halloween Havoc, he earned an NXT Championship match against Trick Williams at NXT Deadline on December 7, but failed to win the title. His victory over Chase on the November 19 episode of NXT resulted in the forced disbandment of Chase University. Following his loss at Deadline, Holland was moved to the Evolve brand in July 2025 and also made his TNA debut in September.
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