Former Champion ‘Legit Shocked’ By Lack Of WWE & AEW Contract Offers

WWE/AEW

The former Zack Ryder has gone on to re-invent himself as Matt Cardona on the independent scene and is shocked by WWE & AEW’s silence.

Cardona was released from his WWE contract in 2020 and has recently said that he wants to end his career back in the company.

With a successful independent wrestling career under his belt and showing little signs of slowing, Cardona spoke to Walkway To Fight Club about his goals and what he has left to prove.

Addressing his current position on the independent scene, he would go on to reveal he hasn’t received offers from either WWE or AEW, stating:

“That’s a great question. What is left to prove on the independents? I’ve done it all. Besides just reinventing myself and becoming bigger than I was in WWE, I’ve done everything there is to do on the indies and then some.

“So what is next? I feel like I need to sign a contract somewhere, but at the same time, I don’t want to sign a contract just to sign a contract. I don’t want to be on a roster just to be a guy on a roster. Been there, done that.

“Listen, if WWE or AEW called and there was a good offer with some intent to use me a certain way, of course I’d have that conversation. But I’m not gonna BS, I haven’t gotten an offer from either of those companies.”

Cardona would then discuss what he can do until one of the big companies comes knocking, saying:

“So until then, I just gotta keep raising my stock and elevating myself and trying to change the game on the independent level.

“I’ve said it many times, I’m not trying to pass the torch to anybody, I’m trying to light a new one for myself, and I feel like I have. But at the same time, if I could give somebody the rub or elevate somebody else, so be it. I feel like I’ve done a lot of that. But I’m 39 years old, I’m not getting any younger. At the same time, I don’t even feel like I’ve entered the prime of my career, so it’s a challenging time because what’s next

“So I dropped this video just to kind of say, ‘Alright, when you see me at an indie show, you’re not gonna see the Indy God, you’re not gonna see the Deathmatch King, although I am those things. You’re seeing, it’s not a new Matt Cardona, it’s just a fresh coat of paint. It’s just the next chapter. How long is that chapter going to be? In this story of Matt Cardona, how long is this chapter? Is it a couple weeks and then I go to WWE or AEW? Is it another year? Time will tell.”

The former WWE star would go on to elaborate on his mindset while still looking towards the future, saying:

“Always Ready is a catchphrase I use, it’s the way I live my life and my career. I have to be ready for any and all opportunity, and that’s why I feel like I have been able to thrive on this independent level.

“But at the end of the day, I don’t want my career to end just wrestling in these smaller venues or these high school gyms or these ballrooms. I want to end it at big stadiums, WrestleMania or Arthur Ashe.

“I want to end it where I feel like I have to end it, in the big leagues on a big stage.”

Cardona would by revealing he’s “shocked” to not have had offers from either AEW or WWE, concluding:

“Listen, I’ll be completely honest. I don’t know what the f**k is going on [laughs]. I’ve done everything there is to do. I am legit shocked I have not gotten an offer from any company, and that’s not me being egotistical. That’s me being realistic.

“I’ve done all there is [to do]. What else can I possibly do? But I can’t let this run be fueled by bitterness or negativity. It was never, ‘Oh, I gotta prove people wrong.’ It was, ‘I’ve gotta prove my fans right,’ and I feel like I have done that. But I think the second you get bitter, the second you get angry is where you lose yourself, and I’m not gonna let this run be fueled by negativity. I’m gonna let it be fueled by trying to prove myself right, and I feel like I have. But there’s more to prove.”

With WWE returning to Long Island for Saturday Night’s Main Event, Chelsea Green recently pitched the idea of a return for Cardona.

Cardona recently stated he would “make a f**king difference” if he was to return to WWE.

Transcript from Fightful.

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• matt cardona
• zack ryder
• AEW
• wwe

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