Ridge Holland

Luke Menzies (born 29 May 1988) is an English professional wrestler and a former professional rugby league player. As a professional wrestler, he is signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Ridge Holland. He is a former one-time NXT Tag Team Champion.

Menzies spent the majority of his rugby league career with various clubs in the Rugby Football League Championship, making one appearance in the Super League for Hull Kingston Rovers in 2008. He began pursuing a career in professional wrestling in 2016 and signed with WWE in 2018.

Rugby league career

Menzies signed for Hull Kingston Rovers in September 2007, making one appearance in the Super League in 2008. He later appeared for a number of lower league clubs such as Batley Bulldogs, Oldham, Dewsbury Rams, Hunslet, and Swinton Lions. He joined Salford Red Devils in 2014, making one appearance for the club. In 2015, he joined York City Knights on loan. Later that year, he joined Halifax on loan. In 2017, he joined the Toronto Wolfpack for their inaugural season.

Professional wrestling career

Independent circuit (2016–2018)

Menzies was trained to be a professional wrestler by British wrestling legend Marty Jones, before making a name for himself in Yorkshire for promotions like 3 Count Wrestling, New Generation Wrestling and Tidal Championship Wrestling. On 11 December 2017, Menzies made an appearance for Defiant Wrestling in a losing effort against Jurn Simmons.

On 21 April 2018, Menzies defeated El Ligero, Joseph Conners and champion Rampage Brown in a 4-Way Elimination Match to win the 3CW Championship. He ended up losing the title back to Rampage Brown a month later due to him signing a contract with WWE and relocating to Florida.

Menzies' final match on the British independent circuit took place on 23 June for Southside Wrestling, where Menzies was defeated by Gabriel Kidd.

WWE

NXT (2018–2021)

In November 2016, Menzies attended a WWE tryout in Scotland. In May 2018, it was announced that he had signed with WWE. He debuted at an NXT live event on 28 July, defeating Mars Wang. On 29 August episode of '' NXT'', he made his televised debut in a losing effort to Keith Lee. On 21 November 2019, he made his television debut for the NXT UK brand under the ring name Ridge Holland, defeating Oliver Carter.

On 7 August 2020 episode of ''NXT'', Holland made his first appearance for the brand since 2018, taking part in a triple threat match against Oney Lorcan and Damian Priest in which the winner would go on to NXT TakeOver XXX to compete in a ladder match for the vacant NXT North American Championship, which Priest won. Dexter Lumis was soon pulled out of the ladder match at NXT TakeOver XXX due to an ankle injury, and since Holland was not pinned or submitted in his qualifying match as a result of Lorcan being pinned, he was given the chance to face Johnny Gargano on the 19 August episode of ''NXT'' with the winner being added to the ladder match; he lost due to interference from Gargano's wife Candice LeRae.

At NXT TakeOver 31 on 4 October, after the main event of Kyle O'Reilly against Finn Bálor for the NXT Championship, he appeared at ringside carrying O'Reilly's unconscious Undisputed Era teammate Adam Cole over his shoulders, having apparently attacked Cole; he dropped Cole over the barricade in front of Bálor and O'Reilly before leaving, establishing himself as a heel. On 7 October episode of ''NXT'', Holland brawled with Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch after defeating Burch in a match; as he caught Lorcan leaping over the top rope to deliver a cross-body, Holland's legs gave out from under him, and he had to be stretchered out of the arena, reportedly suffering an ankle dislocation and fracture in his left leg and a knee patellar dislocation and patellar tendon rupture in his right leg.

After a nine-month absence due to injury, Holland returned on 27 July 2021 episode of ''NXT'', assisting Oney Lorcan and Pete Dunne in defeating Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher and subsequently beat both men down post match, teasing an alliance between the three. On 7 September episode of ''NXT'', Holland and Dunne attacked Lorcan and Danny Burch, ending their alliance. On 12 October episode of ''NXT 2.0'', Holland wrestled his final match on NXT, where he and Dunne lost to Kyle O'Reilly and Von Wagner.

SmackDown (2021–2023)

As part of 2021 Draft, Holland was drafted to the SmackDown brand. On 5 November 2021 episode of ''SmackDown'', during a backstage interview, Holland referred to Sheamus as his idol. On 19 November episode of ''SmackDown'', Holland helped Sheamus defeat Cesaro, Ricochet, and Jinder Mahal in a four-way match, starting an alliance between the two. Holland made his main roster in-ring debut the following week on ''SmackDown'', where he lost to Cesaro, as well as a battle royal to determine the #1 contender for the Universal Championship later that night. A rematch between Holland and Cesaro was set for 17 December episode of ''SmackDown'', which Holland won. On 1 January 2022 at Day 1, Holland and Sheamus defeated Cesaro and Ricochet. During the match, Holland suffered a broken nose and was removed mid-match. On 11 March episode of ''SmackDown'', Holland and Sheamus introduced Dunne, who was subsequently renamed "Butch", as part of their stable. On the same show, a match between the team of Sheamus and Holland and The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston) saw Holland delivering an overhead belly-to-belly suplex to Big E at ringside, resulting in Big E accidentally landing on the top of his head; he was placed onto a stretcher and taken to a hospital. On Night 2 of WrestleMania 38 on 3 April, Holland and Sheamus defeated The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) in a quick match.

Holland and Butch challenged for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship and the NXT Tag Team Championship, but both times lost due to interference from Imperium. This led to a match at Extreme Rules where The Brawling Brutes defeated Imperium in a six-man tag team Good Old Fashioned Donnybrook match. On 5 November at Crown Jewel, Holland and Butch failed to win the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship from the Usos. Three weeks later at Survivor Series: WarGames on 26 November, The Brawling Brutes, along with Drew McIntyre and Kevin Owens, lost to The Bloodline in a WarGames match.

On the November 17, 2023 episode of ''SmackDown'', visible dissension appeared between Holland and Butch after a loss to Street Profits. One week later, Holland walked out on Butch during a tag team match against Pretty Deadly, resulting in a loss in what would be their final match as a team.

Return to NXT (2023–present)

On 19 December episode of ''NXT'', Holland returned to the NXT brand where he challenged Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship. During the match, an angle was created when Dragunov was stretchered off after Holland suplexed him, emulating his incident with Big E. This led to a storyline where, on 26 March 2024 episode of ''NXT'', Holland announced he would be going on an indefinite hiatus from in-ring competition. On 6 April, Holland appeared at the pre-show of NXT Stand & Deliver to attack Joe Gacy with a steel chair as Gacy was making his entrance for his match against Shawn Spears, turning heel again.

On the 7 May episode of ''NXT'', Chase University's Thea Hail thanked Holland for comforting her at ''Spring Breakin. Later that night, Duke Hudson lost to Lexis King after Holland attempted to assist Hudson but inadvertently costed him the match. On the following week, Holland challenged The Good Brothers (Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson) to a tag team match when The Good Brothers mocked Holland for leaving the main roster to NXT. Andre Chase offered Riley Osborne to be Holland's tag team partner to Osborne's dissatisfaction. The Good Brothers won the match after another mishap from Holland. On the 21 May episode of ''NXT'', Fallon Henley defeated Hail to qualify for a spot at the six-woman ladder match to crown the inaugural NXT Women's North American Championship at NXT Battleground. Backstage, Osborne got into an argument with Holland for costing Hail the match, to which Chase proposed that both men settle their differences in the ring where Holland defeated Osborne. After the match, Osborne still did not approve of Chase U working with Holland, with Hudson agreeing with Osborne. On the 18 June episode of ''NXT'', Holland was accepted as a member of Chase U. Holland entered into the 25-man battle royal for a NXT Championship match at NXT Heatwave but he was eliminated. Later that night, Holland assisted Chase and Hudson to defeat The Good Brothers in a tag team match by giving Hudson a leverage from outside the ring as Hudson pinned Anderson. After Chase and Hudson lost an NXT Tag Team Championship match at NXT Heatwave on 7 July, Holland secured a rematch for the titles, but Chase decided to team up with Holland instead. On the 13 August episode of ''NXT'', Chase and Holland defeated Nathan Frazer and Axiom to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions, marking Holland's first championship win in WWE. On 1 September at NXT No Mercy, Chase and Holland lost the titles back to Frazer and Axiom, ending their reign at 19 days. After the match, Holland viciously attacked Chase, defecting from Chase U and reverting back to a heel.

After his defection, Holland vowed to take down Chase U. On the 10 September episode of ''NXT'', Holland took out Hudson with the barricade after defeating him. Two weeks later, Holland defeated Riley but failed to take him out. At NXT Halloween Havoc on October 27, Holland defeated a returning Chase in an Ambulance match. Later that night, Holland attacked Trick Williams after his successful NXT Championship defence against Ethan Page. Bubba Ray Dudley, who had a confrontation with Holland earlier that night, ran into the ring to save Williams from Holland and Page. On the November 19 episode of ''NXT'', Holland faced Chase to earn a shot at the NXT Championship and with the future of Chase U on the line. Holland defeated Chase to earn a title shot against Williams at NXT Deadline and caused Chase U to be disbanded. At the event on December 7, Holland failed to win the title from Williams.

Other media

Menzies, as Ridge Holland, made his video game debut as a playable character in '' WWE 2K23'' and has since appeared in '' WWE 2K24'' and ''WWE 2K25''.

Championships and accomplishments

* 3 Count Wrestling
** 3CW Championship (1 time)
*''Pro Wrestling Illustrated''
**Ranked No. 291 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500'' in 2022
* WWE
**NXT Tag Team Championship ( 1 time) – with Andre Chase

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holland, Ridge
1988 births
Living people
21st-century male professional wrestlers
Batley Bulldogs players
Dewsbury Rams players
English male professional wrestlers
English rugby league players
English expatriate rugby league players
English expatriate sportspeople in Canada
Expatriate rugby league players in Canada
Halifax Panthers players
Hull Kingston Rovers players
Hunslet R.L.F.C. players
Oldham R.L.F.C. players
People from Liversedge
Rugby league players from West Yorkshire
Rugby league props
Salford Red Devils players
Sportspeople from Kirklees
Swinton Lions players
Toronto Wolfpack players
York Knights players
NXT Tag Team Champions
21st-century English sportsmen