![Luke Menzies [Ridge Holland] Says He Received Death Threats Over Big E Injury](https://i0.wp.com/featuresofwrestling.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Untitled-design-3.png?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1)
Former WWE star Luke Menzies, aka Ridge Holland, has admitted that he was on the receiving end of hate from fans following the spot with Big E that appears to have ended the former World Champion’s career, and that some of the abuse included death threats.
In March 2022, Big E suffered a broken neck after being hit with an overhead suplex by Holland on the outside of the ring. Although Big E was able to avoid surgery, has been able to maintain a high quality of life and is still a part of the company as a panellist, there has been no indication that he will be making a return to action more than 3 years on from the accident.
Following the events that took place, Holland has gone on record that he is extremely apologetic over what happened, and Big E has stated that he holds no ill will towards Holland, acknowledging that it is one of the risks of professional wrestling. However, despite this, Holland was subject to a lot of negative comments from the fans.
Appearing on TMA Sport’s Inside The Ring show, Holland first admitted that no matter what happens, he will always be known as the man who ended Big E’s career, while also adding that if he could, he would go back in time and prevent the spot from happening:
“I think my career, unless something substantial happens, regardless of what I’ve done, I’ll always be the guy that ended his career, and that’s something I’ll just have to live with.”
“I said [in the video], if I had a time machine right here, right now, the first thing that I would do is go back and change that, because there’s not a day goes by where I don’t think about it, and there’s not a day goes by where I don’t get reminded about it. And I’m sure that’s the same for E, there’s not a day that goes by where he doesn’t yearn to be back in the ring.”
“It Was Always A Stigma”: Ridge Holland On Big E Aftermath
Continuing, Holland noted that there has always been a stigma from the day it happened right up to the present day, adding that he has received death threats over the accident, and that there was a feeling that he couldn’t wrestle:
“From the moment it happened, right up until today, I still get hate for it and stuff. It started off a lot of the time with death threats and stuff and things like that, which is unnerving, really. And then I think that that kind of always a sticky point in me connecting with the fans, because Big E was so loved, and they almost took it personally. So it was always a sticky point for me. I would never get past it, was always there, and it was always a stigma.”
“I got this reputation of not being able to wrestle because of the Big E thing, and because my style wasn’t 1000 high spots in a match, I was more just to grind on people and slow things down a little bit. I think because of all that, I got the conversation that I could I couldn’t wrestle. I think that going away a little bit will do me good.”
Holland was released from his contract on November 5. Also in the interview, Holland noted that his social media posts criticising the company played a significant factor in his termination. The former WWE star suffered an injury while competing at a TNA taping, and is expected to be out of action until mid-2026.
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Featured image: WWE
