Ridge Holland was as shocked by his move to WWE SmackDown as everyone else.
In November 2019, Holland made his WWE TV debut on an episode of NXT UK. He would spend the next two years in NXT, having his last match in October 2021 on, what was briefly referred to as NXT 2.0. In the time since, he has aligned with Sheamus, and along with Butch (formerly Pete Dunne), have formed The Brawling Brutes.
Speaking with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp (full interview above), Holland revealed that he received no prior warning before being drafted to SmackDown.
"I had an inkling they were having a look. There were quite a few of us going up there for dark matches. Funny story, I was actually watching Smackdown when I got drafted. I was sat down eating my last meal of the day and just watching the show, and then I got drafted. I nearly spat my meal out. I had no prior warning. It was kind of bittersweet, I have to admit, because in NXT, I never really got to show what I was capable of. Then to go up to the main roster, obviously being paired with Sheamus is a great gig. What has turned out to be the Brawling Brutes has been fantastic, but I still feel, especially with the adversity that I’ve been through with injuries and the unfortunate incident with Big E, I feel like I’m still trying to prove myself and I’m still trying to look for opportunity where I can show the fans and my peers what I can truly do. Because I feel like they’ve only seen this much of Ridge Holland. It’s very frustrating," he said.
That said, Holland has thoroughly enjoyed his time on WWE's main roster with The Brawling Brutes, noting that they're always looking to prove themselves.
"But, taking all that, the things we’ve done with the Brawling Brutes I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. We main evented the first ever main roster War Games. We just about which is a fantastic milestone. Extreme Rules, the banger we had with the Imperium boys. So, yeah, it’s been fun, but again, we’re always looking for more. We’re always looking to prove ourselves, so that’s where I’m at," Holland said.
As for whether or not he would welcome a return to NXT, Holland acknowledges that the main roster is where you want to be.
"I’m open to anything, but now being on the main roster and having experienced the logistics of what goes on up here, this is where you want to be. NXT’s great and the guys down there are doing a fantastic job, but I think me, as Ridge Holland, I need to focus on stuff on the main roster and again, prove myself in showing people what I can do," he said.
Elsewhere during the interview, Holland discussed Sheamus' leadership style and filming his 'WrestleMania Goes Hollywood' ad. Click the respective links to learn more.
This evening, June 17, WWE will be running a Supershow in Cincinatti, Ohio, at the Heritage Bank Center.
