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By Andrew Ravens
Contributing Sports Writer
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Ridge Holland says his recent remarks about his WWE release came from a point of frustration, but he’s thankful for the overall journey. Former "NXT" star Ridge Holland, aka Luke Menzies, was injured while competing in a match for TNA this summer.
He later announced it would require surgery. However, he was surprisingly told by WWE that his contract would not be renewed after that.
Since then, he posted a Tweet sharing his frustrations with his situation. Menzies worried he wouldn’t be able to pay his mortgage and felt like WWE hung him out to dry.
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In response, WWE terminated his deal. The company reportedly felt that his comments were a breach of contract.
Menzies started a new YouTube channel and recapped his recent history, sharing how the initial injury happened. He also shared when he found out that WWE wouldn’t renew his deal.
“I think I recovered for about a week. I got a complimentary stay at one of the resorts in Orlando for my family, because my mom had flown over to help with the kids because I was incapacitated [after surgery], I couldn’t really do much,” Menzies explained.
“Then we got there the first day, that’s when I got the call. They said they weren’t going to renew my contract."
"[I thought] ‘OK, well I’m injured and I don’t know how I’m going to make a living.’”
Luke Menzies says he needed to vent about his situation. Menzies said he saw comments online about how he should have managed his finances better, but doesn’t care to air his financial details on the internet.
However, the point of the video was to share that he was grateful for the journey that he’s been on, the good and the bad. “What I do want to hold my hands up for is that last Tweet. It forced the situation to get a lot worse."
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"That was purely out of frustration and I’m mad at myself for doing that, because it’s something that’s out of character for me. I don’t react that way."
"But I think knowing that my career with WWE was coming to an end, I never really got to show my true potential, whether that’s my fault or situational regarding injuries or things that happened, whatever [it was],” he noted, “I felt a bit wronged."
"I don’t know who by, just the whole situation, so I hold my hands up. If I [could do it over], I wouldn’t have posted that Tweet but I needed an outlet, I needed to vent.”
A GoFundMe campaign was started for Menzies and his family. The goal is to offset his living costs while he recovers from a surgery to repair a Lisfranc injury.
More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match
WWE’s Chelsea Green and AEW’s Kyle Fletcher are among the wrestlers who have made contributions so far. WWE was paying for medical expenses related to the initial procedure; however, Menzies is potentially looking at a neck fusion surgery in the future.
Following his termination on November 5th, Menzies has been officially moved to the "Alumni" section of WWE.com. The GoFundMe campaign, titled “Help a Father of 3 Heal Without Losing Everything,” has received further support from the wrestling community.
As of November 7, 2025, the fund has raised over $8,650 of its $60,000 goal, with AEW's Nick Jackson joining Fletcher and Green in donating $1,000, and Green reportedly pledging to donate $1,000 monthly to the family. Menzies, who is unable to wrestle until at least April or May 2026, has announced he is now available for media and signing appearances.
More WWE News:
- Released WWE Superstar Retires From Pro Wrestling
- Released WWE Star Breaks Silence On Departure
- Released WWE Star Wants To Join AEW
For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
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