Published: Aug 8, 2026 by Sanchez Taylor | Last Updated: Aug 8, 2026 by Sanchez Taylor
Sanchez has over six years of pro-wrestling news writing experience, covering the biggest news stories in WWE, NXT, AEW, TNA Wrestling and more. He has personally interviewed a number of top stars, producing exclusive content with the likes of AEW's Swerve Strickland and WWE's Nick Aldis.
WWE
Matt Cardona has reflected on a match he had outside of WWE, believing that he wouldn’t be back with the company today if it wasn’t for that bout.
When “Zack Ryder” was released by WWE in April 2020, many fans were curious about how the former Intercontinental Champion would present himself on the independent scene.
Cardona’s GCW World Championship win over Nick Gage in a Death Match at the July 2021 Homecoming event is what many fans consider to be the turning point in the former WWE star’s career, with Cardona pretty much reinventing himself and leaving behind his PG character.
Speaking with The Wrestling Classic, Matt Cardona noted that he does believe this match changed his life, and that he wouldn’t be back in WWE without it.
He said:
It has been five years since that death match with Nick Gage. Yeah, I don’t think I’d be here talking to you, I don’t think I’d be back in WWE if it wasn’t for that death match, and everything that came from that death match.
“That death match with Nick Gage, it changed my career and it changed my life.”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link back to this page.
While it’s fun for him to look back on now, the aftermath of the match was pretty brutal for Cardona, who stated in an August 2021 interview that he was bleeding throughout his flight the next day, and that when he finally took a bath, “it looked like I was stabbed or stabbed somebody.”
He also noted in the same interview that he actually made more money selling his gear from that match than he was actually paid for the bout, before clarifying that he did get paid “a lot” for that appearance.
Following a one-off return as Zack Ryder in November 2025, Cardona made his official return to WWE in January.
Cardona recently revealed that he wanted to keep his independent entrance theme, but “wasn’t allowed to.”
If you use this transcription or any portion of it, please credit WrestleTalk.com and link back to this page.
To make sure you stay up to date with all the biggest wrestling and WrestleTalk news, follow us on Threads by clicking this link!
mailing list