Matt Cardona recently sat down with Kenny McIntosh from Inside The Ropes. The following was sent to us:
After 15 years with the company, the former Intercontinental Champion was released from his contract in April 2020. After first making appearances in AEW and Impact Wrestling, Matt Cardona shocked the wrestling world when he competed in a Deathmatch against Nick Gage at GCW Homecoming 2021 and defeated Gage in his speciality match. Making a statement that it was his time, Cardona said goodbye to Zack Ryder, established himself as The Deathmatch King and later the King of the Indies. In the interview, Ryder explained that while he will always be grateful for his time as Zack Ryder, it’s not how he would want to return to WWE if the opportunity presented itself:
“I am so grateful for Zack Ryder, it set me up for this whole independent Matt Cardona run, but it is the past. Maybe this isn’t the best analogy but Scott Hall didn’t go back as Razor Ramon. We still knew it was him, but listen, it’s 2024, everyone knows I’m Zack Ryder. But if I were to go back, it has to be Matt Cardona. That’s the value, right? Zack Ryder is a part of that story. You can still make Zack Ryder figures, still make trading cards, put me in the game, get me some royalty cheques as Zack Ryder. But the days of Zack Ryder and the “Woo Woo Woo” are dead.”
Additionally, Cardona gave his thoughts on the changes in management that have been implemented during his time away and if a return were to take place he does not want to be just another member of the roster:
“The new regime has been fantastic. Just look at the shows and those numbers, right? WWE is clicking on all cylinders. I would go back, I don’t care who’s in charge, it doesn’t matter to me as long as I’m on the show (laughs). But I don’t want to go back just to be a guy on the roster—and there’s nothing against people who are just guys on the roster—I already did that. Been there, done that and that’s not what I want to do at this point in my career. I am having the most success I’ve ever had in my career in these past four years.
Whether you define success by accolades, money, happiness, I don’t care however you define it, this is the most successful time in my career. I don’t want to end my career wrestling in high school gyms or changing in alleys, I want a WrestleMania moment, or I want Madison Square Garden, or AEW All In at Wembley Stadium. Even just walking down that aisle on Collision, I felt like I belonged. Even though I haven’t had a “TV match” in years, I just went right back into that. You know, pose into the hard cam. It’s just a skill that I never forgot and a skill that I missed.”
Full story: https://itrwrestling.
