Matt Cardona, who recently returned to WWE has elaborated on his career aspirations, stating that his singular focus was always on becoming a WWE Superstar. Cardona's journey saw him cultivate a significant following as Zack Ryder during his initial WWE run, leveraging social media and YouTube ahead of the curve.
After his release in 2020, Cardona embarked on a memorable tenure on the independent circuit, reinventing himself as 'Matt Cardona.' Despite the success and enjoyment of his independent run, his ultimate goal remained clear.
"When I got released in 2020, I knew Zack Ryder was dead," Cardona said. "And as grateful as I was for him, he taught me everything. And WWE taught me everything I needed to become a superstar outside of WWE. That's what I did. I reinvented myself, rebranded, and had the most fun and the most success I ever had in my career."But the goal was always to be WWE Champion. You can't be WWE Champion unless you're in WWE. As awesome as the independents were, I wanted to wrestle on SmackDown. I wanted to wrestle in Madison Square Garden again, or have a WrestleMania moment ... My dream was never to be a pro wrestler. My dream was to be a WWE Superstar."
"They wanted Matt Cardona," he said. "I'm proud of that. That they thought the Matt Cardona I built on the independents was more valuable than Zack Ryder. And I'm grateful for Zack Ryder, because without him and my previous time in WWE, there's no Matt Cardona. Everything I learned, and not just putting matches together, but how to do interviews like this, how to market myself, how to sell merchandise, I learned it in WWE."
Reflecting on his career longevity, Cardona highlighted the unique milestone of signing with WWE at both 20 and 40 years old, which he attributes to his resilient attitude.
This week's SmackDown event is set to take place in Atlantic City, a location that holds significant personal history for Cardona. He views it as the true birthplace of his 'Matt Cardona' character.
"I'm so excited to be coming back to Atlantic City," Cardona said. "It was a very special place in my career on the independents. That's where Matt Cardona was truly born. GCW in Atlantic City."
He noted that The Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City was the venue he credits for the birth of his independent superstar character and is staying there for the SmackDown event, now wrestling for WWE.
Cardona also praised his wife, Chelsea Green, for her ability to maximize her presence in WWE.
"She maximizes her minutes," Cardona said. "Whether she's got a two-minute match on TV or a five-second backstage segment, she does whatever it takes to get noticed. You've got to be your own advocate. You've got to be self-promoting and you've got to get yourself over."She's so good at it, and anybody can follow that example. If you're on TV for five seconds, how are you going to make it about you? You want to play along and tell the big story, sure, but if you w"
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