Matt Cardona has officially returned to WWE, bringing his “Indie God” persona back to the company that released him nearly six years ago. Cardona made his return on January 2, marking a complete reinvention from the Zack Ryder character he portrayed for over a decade. He turned his departure years ago into a positive and changed his career.
Speaking on the Major Wrestling Figure podcast, Cardona revealed a sentimental detail regarding the moment he put pen to paper on his new deal. He noted that he made sure to have a piece of his independent career with him during the signing.
“When I signed my WWE contract, I signed it with my GCW title on my lap,” Cardona said. “If it wasn’t for GCW, I wouldn’t be the Indie God. If I wasn’t the Indie God, I wouldn’t be back in WWE. I firmly believe that. When I got fired, I looked at that picture of me and my dad at WrestleMania and when I got rehired, I was holding that GCW Title. I’m very sentimental about that.”
Cardona’s journey back to WWE began after his release in April 2020. He took any and every independent booking available to reinvent his image. His most notable booking occurred in GCW, where he competed in a bloody deathmatch against Nick Gage.
That match, a complete 180 from his previous persona, saw him win the GCW World Title and kick his independent run into high gear. He held that championship for 42 days before eventually losing it to Jon Moxley.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit the Major Wrestling Figure podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.Â
