Paul Walter Hauser takes aim at Matt Cardona ahead of their bout.
Paul Walter Hauser will return to the ring on March 16 when he faces Matt Cardona at Wrestling REVOLVER Ready or Not. Hauser previously faced and defeated Matthew Palmer in November 2023 at REVOLVER Unreal.
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Hauser delivered some final words to Cardona.
"Matt Cardona, let’s put him over first. I thought he was great as Zack Ryder in WWE. His following online was way ahead of its time, clearly. Like many brilliant performers in WWE, they didn’t know what to do with him and basically made him into a job guy and ‘you can have the US or IC title for five minutes.’ He’s really great now that he’s doing his own thing and he’s actually who he is. I’m appreciative that he’s putting over the Indies by engaging them in the same enthusiastic manner that he did on television.
"Having said that, I think he doesn’t fully appreciate my level of focus. Matt, big fan, as accomplished as you are, I think you’re missing the point that this isn’t about wrestling so much as it is about focus. To beat you in Iowa on March 16th, it’s going to take the focus of someone who can handle doing stand up comedy in front of 2500 people. It’s going to take the focus of somebody who can memorize a monologue and do it a billion times over for Clint Eastwood on a 40-million-dollar budgeted Warner Brothers biopic. It’s going to take the focus of somebody who does what they do not because they’re trying to buy more toys or cat litter or dog food, but provide nurishment and put it on the table for two young children. It’s going to take focus. You say you’re a Slammy winner. In my book, there is only one Slammy Award winner ever that matters and his name is Owen Hart. You can tout your statistics and sell your merch, but March 16th, I don’t think you realize I’m going to rake your back and bulldog your face into the canvas and probably kick your ass. It’s not because I’m a wrestler, it’s because I have focus. Matt Cardona, at the end of the day, that’s a name. You just picked a name and were like, ‘I’m a new guy.’ I play characters for a living, I do 30, 40, 50 of them. You picked a name, and you picked the wrong opponent."
Hauser won the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, winning for his performance in "Black Bird." He referenced Cardona in his winning speech.
Elsewhere during the interview, Hauser commented on "paying dues" in wrestling. You can find his comments by clicking here.
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