ANOTHER NXT Star Confirms WWE Release (WWE News)
WWE will release former SmackDown and Brawling Brutes star Ridge Holland in November.
Ridge Holland has revealed on his Instagram page that he'll be leaving WWE once his current contract expires on 14 November. The ex-Brawling Brutes man (alongside Sheamus and Pete Dunne, who was called Butch whilst with the group) has been on the shelf rehabbing a broken foot suffered during a TNA match vs. Moose on 27 September - Ridge had to be helped backstage following the incident.
That cut his work on the TNA side short after a few years in developmental brand NXT.
Holland has been assured by WWE top brass that they'll cover his health costs fully, but he won't bag a contract extension with the company once his deal lapses. In his statement, Ridge noted that his run with the promotion "has been blighted by misfortune", but he's "still thankful and grateful for the opportunity and experience".
The UK star signed with WWE in 2018 and initially carved his path via the old NXT UK show. That led to more work on NXT proper before he was posted to the main roster as part of an aforementioned faction led by Sheamus on SmackDown. One unfortunate incident seemed to change perceptions of him forever, and he returned to NXT in 2023.
Holland's WWE Career "Blighted By Misfortune"
When Ridge says his WWE career "has been blighted by misfortune", he's surely talking about what happened on the 11 March 2022 episode of SmackDown. There, during a seemingly routine tag-team match pitting Holland and Sheamus vs. New Day members Big E and Kofi Kingston, Ridge performed an overhead belly to belly suplex on E that resulted in a broken neck and the end of a former WWE Champ's active in-ring career.
Big E hasn't wrestled again, and Holland received significant backlash from fans on social media for the accident. E has since come to terms with things and is at peace with the end of his wrestling days, but there's no doubt that Ridge has carried the weight of that moment himself ever since.
It was rotten bad luck for both.
Holland has also noted on socials in the recent past that he plans to start up an online coaching business. Nobody can say for sure whether he'll continue wrestling elsewhere following the end of his WWE contract next month. It's always possible that he'll pop up in another company, or perhaps some UK independent dates will follow.