Ridge Holland was plugged in for big things in NXT in 2020. Holland made his debut in the yellow and gold brand as a big deal, being the first rugby star to transition to sports entertainment.
He even kicked off one of the biggest feuds in the promotion’s recent history, the Undisputed ERA against Pat McAfee’s Kings of NXT, when he attacked Adam Cole at TakeOver 31.
However, a horrific leg injury the very next week during a match against Danny Burch (who, ironically, is now aligned with McAfee) has put him on the shelf.
TalkSPORT recently caught up with him and discussed the injury, and much more, during a visit to the Performance Center.
“From my personal standpoint, mentally, as soon that happened and I was on the stretcher I was already thinking about ‘OK, let’s get ready to come back. What can I do to get back and be better than ever?”
Ridge Holland suffered the injury as he caught a flying cross-body block outside the ring. He has since described it in detail.
“It was [fracturing and dislocating] my [left] ankle, and then on my right leg, I dislocated the kneecap and ruptured my patella tendons.”
He also admitted that the injury itself was a “pretty freak accident.”
Expect to see Ridge Holland again later this year
Thankfully, it seems that WWE has taken pretty good care of him since then. He said everyone from the trainers to Triple H himself made sure he got the best possible medical attention.
“They were all very concerned and just wanted the best for me. They made sure I got the best medical care and reassured me that everything is going to be fine.”
As for when he’ll actually be back in action, Ridge Holland says it’s looking like six to nine months. Here’s hoping he comes back sooner than that, and better than ever.
Published 13 Jan 2021, 04:32 IST
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