Luke Menzies: How former Hull KR Super League player became WWE Friday Night Smackdown star Ridge Holland

SWITCHING SPORTS: Luke Menzies made over 160 appearances as a rugby league player, including for the like of Hunslet, Hull KR, Batley and Dewsbury.

Menzies, who gave up rugby league to pursue professional wrestling, competes under the name of 'Ridge Holland' and was signed by the WWE in 2018.

The prop forward made over 160 career appearances for several different rugby league clubs - including Hull KR, Batley Bulldogs, Dewsbury and Halifax Panthers - but it was his release from Salford Red Devils in 2015 that convinced him to pursue a career in professional wrestling.

He briefly returned to rugby league with Toronto Wolfpack in 2017 but decided to fully pursue his dream of becoming a WWE superstar in the same year.

The 33-year-old from Liversedge has been appearing on WWE's NXT shows in recent years, which is the company's developmental wrestling program.

However, Menzies looks to have finally got his break onto the flagship television shows after earning a place on the Smackdown roster following this year's WWE Draft.

In October last year, Menzies broke and dislocated his left ankle, dislocated his knee cap and ruptured the patellar tendon on his right leg but made his return to the ring in the summer.

In 2019, he trained with Tyson Fury as he helped prepare the WBC world heavyweight champion for his WWE match with Braun Strowman.