Brett Lauderdale highlights the impact Matt Cardona has had on the independent scene.
Following his WWE release in 2020, Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, kicked off a remarkable GCW run at GCW Zombie Walk 2021, where he attacked GCW Champion Nick Gage. Cardona later beat Gage to win the title in a Death Match at GCW Homecoming 2021. The win kicked off a transformative run for Cardona, as he reinvented himself on the independent scene. Cardona continues to compete for GCW, and he remains one of the most buzzworthy stars on the open market.
Speaking on The Business of the Business with Lavie Margolin and John Poz, GCW promoter Lauderdale was asked about Freddie Prinze Jr.'s past comments that Cardona's GCW initial run inspired him to star his wrestling promotion.
“Freddie Prinze [Jr.]…in terms of him being inspired by Matt Cardona, a lot of people were inspired by Matt Cardona, people from the WWE bubble that might not have understood what the indies were or might not have understood what was out there. Matt definitely inspired a lot of people and continues to. But yeah, that initial GCW run, that was, pardon the pun, that was a game-changer in so many ways. I think that the influence it had in the short term and the long term, I think we’re gonna continue to feel the ramifications of his success. I think it just made everybody look differently at the indies," Lauderdale said.
During the interview, Lauderdale also discussed AEW talent's availability for independent shows. Check out his comments here.
In an interview with Fightful, Matt Cardona recalled how he was nearly set to face Ultimo Dragon at WrestleCade 2023. Click here to see what he had to say.
Cardona previously said his GCW run was originally meant to be a three-show deal. Check out his comments here.
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