Matt Cardona says he still wants to end his career in WWE and get a WrestleMania moment under his real name. Cardona has been away from WWE since he was released in April 2020 in the early days of the pandemic, and during his time away he’s had great success in the independents with runs in TNA, GCW, NWA and more. Cardona spoke with Sports Illustrated and said that he feels closer to the WWE Championship now than he did when he was with the company. You can see some highlights below:
On his torn pectoral muscle: “Yeah, so I did a move that I’ve done hundreds, if not, thousands of times clotheslining an opponent over the top rope, but I just felt something pop and I said, ‘Uh oh.’ I’ve never torn my pec before, but it felt like I tore my pec. I finished the match and got an MRI and I was hoping that it wasn’t, but unfortunately it was… Needed to get surgery right away, and the first couple of days instead of feeling sorry for myself and just eating junk food, which I did eat a lot of junk food, I rebooked my whole summer. I overloaded myself. As a matter of fact, my June was the most busy I’ve been since I left WWE in 2020, so I overbooked myself.”
On using the injury to evolve as a performer: “I think it was a blessing in disguise that I did get injured because it made me really revaluate myself. So, when I come back I can’t just do the same thing I did before I got hurt. I can’t just come out with the crown and call myself, ‘The Deathmatch King.’ I can’t come out with the brown hat and call myself, ‘The Indie God.’ I always need to evolve. Everybody needs to evolve, and I think the injury was the kick in the ass that I needed. Like, ‘Okay, I think you’re getting a little too comfortable here being the top dog.'”
On a potential WWE return: “I think right now in summer 2024, being released from WWE for four years, I honestly feel like I’m closer to the WWE world title than I was when I worked for WWE. I’m proud to be the ‘Indie God,’ I’m proud to be the face of GCW, but when it’s all said and done, I want to end my career in WWE. I want to have another WrestleMania moment, I want to be in Madison Square Garden, but as Matt Cardona. Zack Ryder is dead. I am so fortunate for Zack Ryder for the highs and the lows, the good and the bad because it set me up for this. It prepared me for this.”
