RIDGE HOLLAND

Luke Menzies is a 36-year-old English professional wrestler and former professional rugby player from West Yorkshire, England. He is currently signed with WWE and performs on NXT under the ring name, Ridge Holland. Menzies is one-half of the current NXT Tag Team Champions with fellow Chase University stablemate Andre Chase in their first reign.

Menzies signed with the Hull Kingston Rovers professional rugby team in September 2007. He made one appearance in the Super League in 2008. Menzies later appeared for a number of lower league clubs. As well, he played for teams like Salford Red Devils, York City Knights, Halifax and the Toronto Wolfpack for their inaugural season.

Professional Wrestling Career

Menzies was trained by British wrestling legend, Marty Jones. He began wrestling in North East of England promotions 3 Count Wrestling, New Generation Wrestling and Tidal Championship Wrestling. In December 2017, he made an appearance for Defiant Wrestling losing to Jurn Simmons.

On April 21st 2018, Menzies won the 3CW Championship by defeating El Ligero, Joseph Conners and champion Rampage Brown in a 4-Way Elimination match. He lost the title back to Rampage Brown a month later. He took the loss as he had signed a contract with WWE and was relocating to Florida. Menzies’ final match on the British independent circuit took place on June 23rd for Southside Wrestling, where Menzies was defeated by Gabriel Kidd.

Menzies Tries Out For WWE

In November 2016, Menzies attended a WWE tryout but was not signed with the company until early in 2018. On the August 29th 2018 episode of NXT, he made his televised debut losing to Keith Lee. He then made his television debut for the NXT UK brand under the ring name, Ridge Holland. In his debut, he defeated Oliver Carter.

In August 2020, Holland took part in a triple threat match against Oney Lorcan and Damian Priest. The winner would go on to NXT TakeOver 30 to compete in a ladder match for the vacant NXT North American Championship, which Priest won.

NXT General Manager William Regal later announced that Dexter Lumis had pulled out of the ladder match at NXT TakeOver 30 due to an ankle injury. 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 August 19th episode of NXT. The winner would be added to the ladder match. Holland lost due to interference from Gargano’s wife, Candice LeRae.

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Ridge Holland’s Various Feuds

At NXT TakeOver 31, after the main event of Kyle O’Reilly against Finn Bálor for the NXT Championship, Holland appeared at ringside carrying O’Reilly’s unconscious Undisputed Era teammate Adam Cole over his shoulders. Apparently, he had attacked Cole. Holland then dropped Cole over the barricade in front of Bálor and O’Reilly before leaving. This established his turn to heel.

Holland brawled with Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch the October 7th episode of NXT, 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. It was reported that he had suffered 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 the July 27th 2021 episode of NXT. At his return, he assisted Oney Lorcan and Pete Dunne in defeating Tommaso Ciampa and Timothy Thatcher. Two months later, on the September 7th episode of NXT, Holland and Dunne attacked Lorcan and Danny Burch, ending their alliance. Holland wrestled his final NXT match on October 12 2021, teaming with Dunne in a loss to Kyle O’Reilly and Von Wagner.

Ridge Holland Moves to SmackDown

As part of the WWE 2021 Draft, Holland was drafted to the SmackDown brand. On the November 5th episode of SmackDown, during a backstage interview, Holland referred to Sheamus as his idol.

On the November 19th 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 in-ring debut the following week on SmackDown, where he lost to Cesaro. On January 1st 2022, at WWE’S Day 1 pay-per-view event, Holland teamed with Sheamus and defeated Cesaro and Ricochet. During the match, Holland suffered a broken nose and was removed mid-match. At the 2022 Royal Rumble, Holland participated in his first Royal Rumble match as the fifth entrant, lasting 19 minutes before being eliminated by AJ Styles.

Holland Returns to NXT

Holland returned to the NXT brand where he challenged Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship. On the June 18th episode of NXT, Holland was accepted as a member of Chase U. He 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 a NXT Tag Team Championship match at NXT Heatwave on July 7, Holland secured a rematch but it will be Chase teaming up with Holland instead. On the August 13th episode of NXT, Chase and Holland defeated NXT Tag Team Champions Nathan Frazer and Axiom for the titles. This is Holland’s first championship win in WWE.

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STATS

Birth name: Luke Menzies
Born: May 29, 1998, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, England
Height: 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight: 253 lb (115 kg)
Ring name(s): Luke Menzies, Ridge Holland
Current Roster: WWE NXT
Finishing move(s): Northern Grit- Northern Lights Bomb

Ridge Holland’s Social Media:

Ridge Holland Photos

Career Championships & Accomplishments

3 Count Wrestling
- 3CW Championship (1 time)
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)
- NXT Tag Team Championship (1 time, current)