During an interview with Cultaholic, Ridge Holland opened up about the personal and financial hardships that led to his sudden release from WWE – a firing that came just hours after he posted an emotional message about his situation on social media.
Holland, who was already set to leave WWE after contract expiration on November 14th, was terminated early on November 4th after the company deemed his public comments a breach of contract. The decision effectively cut short his run with the company while he remains sidelined due to a Lisfranc foot injury and an upcoming neck fusion surgery.
Frustrated and uncertain about his future, Holland took to X to vent, saying he didn’t know how he would pay his mortgage and felt “hung out to dry” by WWE after being injured while representing the company in TNA. Within two hours of posting, Holland received a call from WWE notifying him that he had been released effective immediately.
“Maybe two hours. It was just, ‘We’re going to exercise our right to terminate the agreement effective immediately. Bye.’ I just asked about the medical stuff, asking if that’s covered. And it was, ‘Yeah. Contact the medical team.’ And that was it. Obviously, I’m the one who put the tweet out, right, so I’ve got to take responsibility for that. It is what it is.”
WWE officials were said to be particularly displeased with the mention of his mortgage troubles, viewing the post as unprofessional despite his emotional state.
Holland explained that his financial struggles began a year earlier, when he signed a new WWE deal in November 2024 that included a 50 percent pay cut. He initially refused the three-year contract offered to him, instead requesting a one-year extension in hopes of finding a balance between his family responsibilities and his career.
That decision left the 37-year-old and his family in a difficult spot. As a UK citizen living in the United States, Holland faced higher costs for everything from health insurance to green card expenses – all while supporting his wife and three children.
“It’s health insurance, don’t forget we’ve got to pay for our own green cards. Everything from insurances to houses to mortgages comes at a premium when you’re not an actual resident. You’re a higher risk, so you pay a higher premium for that.”
Shortly before his firing, Holland received a foreclosure notice on his home. The stress of the situation pushed him to write the now-deleted post that ultimately cost him his job.
“So the house, we’ve got a foreclosure notification on the house, so I just took to Twitter and I just needed to vent. I’m not gonna vent to my wife, she doesn’t need it. She knows. She doesn’t need me pi$$ing and moaning, so I just typed it out.
It was kind of like a way of coping. I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have let my emotions get to me. Then, obviously, what’s the old saying? Blow your feathers, you get your a$$ tickled.”
Since then, Holland has been trying to restructure his mortgage and downsize to a smaller home, though he admits it’s been a slow process with little income coming in.
Holland’s family briefly launched a GoFundMe to help him stay afloat, but he has since taken it down, saying he plans to donate the funds to charity once he’s financially stable again.
As he recovers from his injuries, Holland is shifting his focus toward building a YouTube channel and working with an online coaching company, though he admits it’s been an uphill climb.
When asked if he plans to return to wrestling once cleared to compete, Holland admitted he’s undecided but hasn’t ruled it out completely. He said he’d like to wrestle in TNA again.
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