Did Ridge Holland legitimately retire from WWE? Finding out if it's real

WWE NXT Superstar Ridge Holland took the internet by storm when revealed his decision to take an indefinite hiatus from in-ring competition on the latest episode of the developmental brand.

However, recent reports have claimed that Holland's taking an indefinite break from in-ring duties is part of a storyline. Not only this, but the source also stated that the 35-year-old has openly embraced the narrative.

So if the reports come to fruition, fans will indeed witness the return of Ridge Holland. Meanwhile, it's conceivable that a character change might be part of this whole storyline, as WWE may want to revamp the British wrestler to give him a new start in the company.

Overall, it will intriguing to see what WWE is planning for Holland and when he will make his return to the company after the retirement segment.

---

Ridge Holland's possible returning feud in WWE

Ridge Holland last wrestled on the developmental brand against Shawn Spears in a one-on-one encounter earlier this month. However, despite the valuable effort, the match ended up with Spears securing the victory over the British star. Hence, the Stamford-based Promotion might engage Ridge in a feud with Shawn Spears following the former's return to in-ring competition.

The potential scenario could see the 35-year-old star launching an attack on Shawn or interfering in the latter's match. This will lead to a full-fledged feud between these two stars. A rivalry between Ridge and Shawn will eventually help both wrestlers elevate their status on the roster.

Apart from this, a feud for the NXT Championship or NXT North American Title is also within the realms of possibility if the company revamps the gimmick of the former Brawling Brutes member. A title feud will indeed help the Stamford-based Promotion to elevate the status of Holland in the company, especially after his retirement segment.

Even Holland and Ilja Dragunov share history, as the former was involved in a kayfabe injury angle with the NXT Champion when they both clashed a few months back on the developmental brand. For those unaware, Holland returned to NXT on December 19, 2023, and challenged Dragunov for the NXT Championship, which led to the head injury storyline angle.

It will be interesting to see how things play out with Ridge Holland in the coming weeks.