Steve Carrier on November 9, 2025
Ridge Holland is finally clearing the air after his recent WWE release—and he’s not holding back.
In response to online speculation from wrestling journalist Raj Giri, the former WWE star revealed that he was the one who negotiated a one-year deal with the company, turning down a longer contract because the offer cut his pay in half.
It started when Raj Giri tweeted that Holland’s exit was due to poor decisions on his part. Giri claimed Holland was nearly released last year and only received a short-term NXT deal. He also said Holland wasn’t “over” with fans and “spent like he was” despite not being a top star.
“This is the last thing I’m going to tweet about this. I hate sounding cold, but it is what it is. No one is responsible for the line of work you choose except yourself. He was going to get cut last year. WWE renegotiated his deal for 1 year for NXT. Should WWE have extended his contract for as long as he was injured? Sure. But the end result would have been the same. The guy never got over and spent like he was.”
That didn’t sit right with Holland, who fired back with a direct response—setting the record straight about how the deal actually went down. According to Holland, he didn’t want to commit to a three-year deal at half his previous salary—so he opted for more flexibility, even if it meant taking a big risk.
“@TheRajGiri You need to stop speaking so confidently about a situation you have ZERO knowledge about. WWE offered me a 3 year deal. I negotiated a 1 year deal as I didn’t want to be tied in for 3 years on 50% of what I’d been earning. I was given 4 weeks notice of non renewal.”
Despite suffering a Lisfranc foot injury, Holland recently made headlines for shutting down a GoFundMe that had been launched to support him financially. He explained he wasn’t aware the page was being created and that he didn’t want donations, adding that any funds already raised would go to charity.
Holland’s transparency offers a clearer look into how WWE handles contracts, especially with injured talent. He made a calculated decision to keep control of his career, even if it came at the cost of long-term job security.
Do you think Ridge Holland made the right move turning down WWE’s 3-year offer? Or should he have taken the guaranteed money? Sound off in the comments below.
November 9, 2025 10:55 am
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