‘I Don’t Think We Were Ever A Priority’ – Ridge Holland Thinks WWE Failed To Capitalize On Brawling Brutes Popularity

WWE

Former WWE star Luke Menzies (fka Ridge Holland) has reflected on his time in the Brawling Brutes alongside Sheamus and Pete Dunne.

Following his call-up from WWE NXT to Friday Night SmackDown in November 2021, Luke Menzies became the protégé of veteran WWE star Sheamus, with the pair later being joined by Pete Dunne (aka Butch), to form the Brawling Brutes.

While they started off as heels, by the latter half of 2022, Sheamus, Dunne and Menzies became babyfaces and were involved in high profile fueds on SmackDown, most notably with The Bloodline, leading to all three stars taking part in that year’s Men’s WarGames Match against The Bloodline.

When asked about his time in the group during an appearance on Tagging in with Chris Harris, Menzies said he was grateful for the opportunities given to them he, Sheamus and Dunne, but he feels as if WWE never capitalized on their popularity

“I’m grateful for the opportunities and we had fun, like on the road and stuff, it was good. It was a great learning experience, but I think being young and not really experienced in that environment, I wasn’t very good at advocating for myself, and you have to.

“These guys that are politicking. I have no doubt that Sheamus was keeping himself strong within the group, he was definitely the focal point, whereas it should have been that he was bringing us, me and Pete, both up. That’s what it should have been, raising the tide to raise all ships. We had some big matches but I just never felt like they were fully bought in.

“We managed to get ourselves over organically and from that Sheamus had one of the most organic babyface runs of his career. I just never felt they capitalized on it.

“I don’t think we were ever a priority, and then when we got ourselves over, it’s almost like if you get yourself over in spite of the booking, they kind of don’t really want you to do that. It has to be their idea, they have to be in control. If you get over because they want you to and they put the machine behind you, you’re off to the races. But if you get over, it’s obviously not in the plan.”

“They did give us some grace by putting us in big matches, but I just think there was a lot more that we could have done and progressed.”

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The Brawling Brutes remained a unit until November 2023, when Menzies walked out on Pete Dunne during a match with Pretty Deadly on the November 24, 2023 episode of SmackDown.

Menzies then moved to WWE NXT, where he remained until his eventual departure from the company two years later in November 2025, while Dunne would embark on a singles run, which included a one-on-one feud with Sheamus the following year, before he eventually reunited with NXT tag team partner Tyler Bate.

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• pete dunne
• Ridge Holland
• luke menzies
• brawling brutes
• wwe
• Sheamus

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