Ridge Holland had earlier surprised fans this week while appearing on WWE NXT. Rather than himself, it was an announcement he made that garnered all the attention.
The former rugby player had shared his intention of moving away from the ring for the time being. This comes as a surprise after he made his comeback on NXT. He had previously talked about his struggle while coping with the infamous injury to Big E on SmackDown. The latest update raises a serious question about his well-being going forward.
What is the reason behind Ridge Holland’s indefinite hiatus?
Appearing on NXT this Tuesday, Ridge Holland has announced that he is ‘indefinitely’ moving away from the ring. He appeared emotional while speaking with the audience and said that the decision was made with his mental health in mind.
Holland also spoke about how wrestling has its demands and can be gruesome for the individual and their family members. he was quoted saying that he ‘took his work home’ which impacted his interactions with his partner and his two daughters.
Ridge was involved with the Big E’s neck injury during their bout at SmackDown 2022. It was reported that the incident had a big impact on him, and he considered himself liable for it. Though Big E never made any statements blaming Ridge Holland.
Fightful Select, however, has a different thing to say about retirement. Apparently, this episode is part of Ridge’s storyline and will impact his future involvement with the WWE. There is apparently no pressure from the organization as this story plays out, and Ridge wants to do this on his terms.
This angle on the announcement makes a lot of sense, as WWE has previously used many such storylines that connected the real-life events of its stars to its story arc. So fans can now expect a future comeback from the former rugby player.
What did Ridge Holland do before coming to WWE?
Before entering the world of professional wrestling, Ridge Holland was a rugby player. He started out in the Premier League with Hull Kingston Rovers. Later on, he played for different teams in the second-division championship in England. During the later stages of his rugby career, he moved to Canada and played for the Toronto Wolfpacks.
He pursued wrestling in 2016 and trained under the legendary Marty Jones. His first win as a wrestler came in 3 Count Wrestling, when he defeated El Ligero. After winning the championship there, he signed up with WWE. During this time, he was part of The Brawling Brutes alongside Seamus, whom he considers to be an idol.
