Ridge Holland’s WWE Exit: Another 2025 WWE Casualty in the Numbers Game
Well, here we go again. Another WWE talent bites the dust, and this time it’s Ridge Holland getting the corporate boot while nursing a busted foot. Because nothing says “We’re family” quite like dropping someone when they can’t perform, right?
WWE’s Latest Release Of Ridge Holland Hits Different
Ridge Holland’s departure from WWE stings more than a typical release story, such as the 12 cuts that recently occurred. The British powerhouse, who’s been grinding it out since 2018, got the dreaded phone call informing him that his contract wouldn’t be renewed come November 14th. The kicker? He’s sitting on the sidelines with a Lisfranc injury that’ll keep him out of action for another six months The timing couldn’t be more brutal if they’d planned it with a calculator and a dartboard.
From Brawling Brute to Budget Cut
Holland’s journey through WWE reads like a textbook case of missed opportunities and rotten luck. Remember when he first showed up as Luke Menzies back in 2018? Most fans probably don’t, because WWE did their usual stellar job of introducing new talent by having him float around NXT without much direction.
Things looked up when he joined Sheamus and Pete Dunne (back when he was still called Butch) to form The Brawling Brutes. Finally, some momentum! The trio had chemistry, they could work, and fans were starting to care. Then came the infamous incident with Big E that’s still haunting Holland’s career like a bad referee call.
The Big E Shadow That Won’t Disappear
Honestly, Holland was done in WWE the moment the Big E match happened. That was when Holland accidentally injured Big E with a belly-to-belly suplex outside the ring in 2022,. That kept the former WWE Champion on the shelf with neck problems and hasn’t wrestled a match since. Was it intentional? Of course not. Was it careless? Maybe. Has it followed Holland around like a scarlet letter? Absolutely and he never recovered from it.
The wrestling business is unforgiving when it comes to worker safety, and fair or not, that moment has colored everything Holland’s done since. It’s the kind of accident that can derail careers, and unfortunately for the big man from Yorkshire, it seems like it might have done exactly that.
TNA Partnership Proves Costly
The cruel irony in all this? Holland got hurt working for TNA, a company WWE supposedly has a working relationship with. He faced Moose in September, suffered the Lisfranc injury that ended the match early, and now he’s paying the price while WWE washes their hands of the situation.
Sure, they’re covering his rehab costs – how generous of a billion-dollar company – but his guaranteed pay stops when that contract expires. It’s like offering to pay for the bandages after you’ve already thrown someone under the bus.
Backstage Reactions Tell the Real Story
The most telling part of this whole mess? The backstage reaction has been reportedly negative among WWE talent. According to industry sources, longtime performers believe that pre-COVID WWE would have kept Holland on payroll during his recovery. That says everything you need to know about how the company’s priorities have shifted.
When your own locker room is side-eyeing management decisions, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of corporate culture. But hey, shareholders gotta eat, right?
WWE’s Pattern Becomes Clearer
This whole situation is just another example of WWE’s current business model: squeeze every dollar out of talent while they’re healthy and profitable, then cut them loose when they become a financial liability. It’s cold, calculated, and completely predictable at this point. The wrestling business has always been rough, but this feels particularly heartless. Here’s hoping Holland lands on his feet once he’s back to full health.
