Matt Cardona clarifies his comment that Zack Ryder is dead and talks about the equity he has built under his real name since leaving WWE.
Matt Cardona was released by WWE in 2020. Since then, he has made quite a name for himself in multiple promotions including the NWA, IMPACT, and GCW. Most recently, Matt Cardona made headlines when he tweeted that Zack Ryder, his former WWE character, is dead and that Matt Cardona was here to stay.
Now, in a new interview with Kevin Kellam of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Matt Cardona is clarifying his comments and explains why he believes if he goes back to WWE it has to be under his real name.
"It's certainly exciting, right? Every week, it seems like someone's coming back, debuting, or re-debuting. It's fresh, it's exciting, it's must-see TV, and I think that's what wrestling should be," Cardona said about the current changes to WWE under Triple H. "Yeah, I said Zack Ryder is dead because, listen, never say never, right? But if I were to go back, I think it has to be as Matt Cardona. Zack Ryder, it was what it was. I am so grateful for that run. It has set me up for this run. Without being Zack Ryder in WWE, I wouldn't be Matt Cardona talking to you right now. So, it set me up for everything, but the 'Woo Woo Woo', the headband, but sunglasses, it's dead."
Continuing on, Matt Cardona revealed he was trying to get away from his woo woo woo character while he was still Zack Ryder in WWE.
"I was trying to get away from that stuff while I was still Zack Ryder in WWE, but you can't write the show, you know? So if I'm trying to be more serious, but you are booked to be not so serious, it is what it is. That's why when I was let go, it was like, 'Oh my god, this is,' — not that I had any handcuffs on, but the handcuffs were off. I was able to just become the new version of me whatever that was going to be."
In relation to these comments about a potential WWE return, Matt Cardona has recently stated that he still thinks about being WWE Champion. Read more here.
While a potential run as WWE Champion may be off the table, for now, Matt Cardona will have the opportunity to regain the NWA World Heavyweight Championship at Hard Times 3. Fans can check out the full card for the event here.
If you use any of the quotes above, please credit Sportskeeda Wrestling with a H/T and link back to Fightful for the transcription.
