Luke Menzies, formerly known as Ridge Holland, revealed in a post on Thursday that WWE offered him a 56% pay cut during contract negotiations under TKO management:
“Honestly I think I may have been the first to experience the new TKO version of ‘contract Negotiations’
“56% paycut…. OUCH!”
The revelation comes amid growing conversation around WWE’s contract offers. Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods noted this week on The Ariel Helwani Show that the deal presented to them before their departure included a pay cut of more than 50%.
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3:26 PM · Sep 3, 2026His experience predated theirs. In November 2025, Menzies disclosed that he had accepted a one-year contract with WWE in 2024, choosing to bet on himself after receiving an offer with a steep pay reduction. At the time, he described the cut as 50%.
He remained with the company until November 2025. WWE initially informed him that his contract, set to expire on November 14, would not be extended, but the company terminated the deal early on November 5 after he made public comments about his situation.
At the time of his release, Menzies was also sidelined with a Lisfranc injury sustained against Moose during a TNA iMPACT! taping, where he had been representing NXT as part of the WWE-TNA partnership. WWE continued covering his surgery and rehabilitation.
After undergoing additional neck surgery, Menzies was medically cleared to return to the ring in April. He has since been competing on the independent circuit, including appearances with PROGRESS Wrestling.