As previously reported, WWE terminated Ridge Holland’s contract ahead of its expected expiration date on November 14 due to his recent public comments, which were deemed a breach of contract.
This decision follows Holland’s expression of dissatisfaction with WWE’s choice not to renew his contract. He revealed feelings of being abandoned by the company, particularly in light of his recent Lisfranc injury and the likelihood of needing neck fusion surgery in the future.
According to Dave Meltzer on the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, WWE had initially planned to release Holland much earlier in his tenure, about a year ago.
However, he managed to negotiate a one-year renewal deal at a significantly lower rate. Under this new agreement, Holland was to remain in the NXT division for one year since he had already been part of that roster. Still, he was being paid less than he had been a year prior.
The report indicates that by that point, Holland was likely under a main roster contract due to his time on SmackDown as part of The Brawling Brutes alongside Sheamus and Pete Dunne.
WWE believed that giving him another year might help bolster NXT, given his main roster experience, but it ultimately did not have the desired impact, as he did not gain significant popularity.
Although Holland found some success with the Chase U program, the company did not follow up with further opportunities before he got injured.
Additionally, Meltzer shared that instead of releasing Holland, WWE opted not to renew his contract once it expired later this month. The company planned to continue paying him through November 14. However, Holland’s injury during recent TNA Impact TV tapings in September changed everything.
Meltzer noted that wrestlers under WWE contracts are prohibited from speaking negatively about the company in public. Holland’s recent comments allowed WWE to terminate his contract early, effectively sending a message to other talent about the consequences of public criticism.
Meltzer also speculated that there may not be much demand for Holland in AEW or other independent wrestling promotions, with the possible exception of TNA. However, joining TNA could pose challenges due to its ongoing association with WWE, especially since Holland sustained his injury while working under a WWE contract.
Finally, Meltzer pointed out that given WWE’s recent profits being “through the roof,” there was no justification for not keeping Holland under contract during his rehabilitation period. He emphasized that Holland was injured while working on behalf of WWE.
As a result of these developments, WWE has since moved Holland’s profile to the Alumni section of its website.
