When Matt Cardona was released from the WWE in 2020, ending a nearly 15-year tenure under contract, with almost 12 years of that time on the main roster, there was much uncertainty about not only what was next for him, but also the business as a whole. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic with many live events shuttered and limited capacity for the shows that actually took place, it was not an optimistic landscape for those that got fired at the time.
As with any round of cuts, there will be those that fade into obscurity, either using their WWE name to work a collection of alphabet soup indy groups based on that TV exposure alone, and there’s nothing really wrong with that as it’s a way to continue to make money as a pro wrestler, or some eventually make the jump to completely different careers. It goes without saying that it’s a very individual basis on what path is best for each performer to take after they get fired from the biggest pro wrestling company in the world. For example, Health Slater, who became a sentimental favorite throughout his WWE run for his genuine enthusiasm, can use his WWE exposure to continue to be Health Slater on the independent circuit and it works for him. Again, if it pays the bills, there’s nothing wrong with that, and there’s definitely something to be said for the true professionals that understand how to work the independent circuit in a way that will continue to give them work over the course of time rather than relatively short payoffs. On the other hand, No Way Jose, despite being on WWE television for a brief period of time, doesn’t translate to the independent scene. It was a WWE television gimmick that just doesn’t have the same presentation on an independent show without the bells and whistles of the conga line.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are those that get their pink slip from the WWE and use it as an opportunity to reinvent themselves. We’ve seen it work to varying degrees over the past several years, and while an attempt to rejuvenate a career isn’t always a home run, it’s commendable that those performers are willing to take the risk outside of the comfort zone of a previous WWE gimmick that might be the easier, albeit limiting, routine compared to something fresh that may or may not get over. Braun Strowman trying to control his narrative when he was outside of the WWE didn’t exactly propel his career. On the flip side, Cody Rhodes doesn’t become the top guy as the American Nightmare in WWE if he didn’t ask for his release years earlier when he was saddled with the Stardust character.
When the previously mentioned Cardona was cut from the roster, he rebuilt himself, not just within his presentation as a wrestler, but also reshaped the perception of his persona in the process. The reason why it became intriguing to follow Cardona’s journey was that he was a guy that pursued and became the prototypical WWE TV wrestler. That’s not a knock at all, and it worked since he had a deal with the company for as long as he did, but rather to point out that the scope of the original Zack Ryder character, even throughout its evolution process, was very much tailored to the WWE style. The framework of his career, as far back as when he trained under ECW alumni, Mikey Whipwreck, was to pattern himself after the WWE playbook. He was going to be a wrestler with a gimmick that was easy to understand, a catchphrase that could be merchandised, and he was going to work a safer style since you can’t draw money in the ring if you’re on the shelf with an injury. In many ways, it’s tough to argue with that game plan since it works, regardless of the evolution of some of the early-2000s troupes that don’t apply today.
It’s been well-documented and discussed how WWE management didn’t utilize Zack Ryder properly when he was originally signed to a deal, and how he reinvented himself as the WWE guy that ended up working death matches in GCW. Through his hustle on the independent circuit, efforts on his podcast with Brian Myers, and the action figure line it produced, Matt Cardona made himself a money-drawing commodity outside of the WWE bubble. The impact that the Major Wrestling Figure podcast had is undeniable, as their Big Rubber Guys series, a nod to the LJNs of the 80s, is more or less the reason that Mattel has the same style of figures in Target today. The Major podcast had the proof of concept and then Mattel did it on a mainstream scale. That’s not a criticism, that’s capitalism, and Mattel wasn’t going to leave that money on the table.
I could be wrong, but I think that one of the reasons that Cardona was re-signed to the WWE at the start of the year was specifically what he could do with merchandise and social media, especially as events like comic con become more important to launch retail sales of different products. Sure, Cardona boosted his stock as a performer in the nearly six years he was away from the WWE, and there’s undoubtedly more that the company could’ve done with that, but his value as a asset for merchandise might’ve been an even bigger reason that he was offered a new deal.
In short, it was better for the WWE to have Matt Cardona under contract so that they could get their piece of the pie rather than him getting a bigger slice, albeit of a smaller pie, on his own.
As mentioned, Cardona inked a new contract at the beginning of 2026, but outside of the return pop, the office has done virtually nothing with him in the past eight months. He lost matches on television, wasn’t given any type of storyline, and was reduced to working the Main Event tapings before Smackdown. Basically, anyone on the WWE roster could’ve been used for the interchangeable role. I hate to say it, but within less than a year, Cardona was more or less in the same spot that he was when he was fired from the WWE six years ago. Unfortunately, he wasn’t given the chance to do much else, despite the fact that he has a story that the fans already showed that they were willing to rally behind.
The situation didn’t improve when Cardona suffered a torn triceps during one of the previously mentioned Main Event tapings about two weeks ago. He underwent surgery to repair the injury last week and is expected to be on the sidelines for roughly six months. I’d say that the time off could be a fresh start for him, but he just had a fresh start in January and the office did nothing with him.
Again, I hate to say this, but it seems like WWE re-signed him to snuff about some of his independent ventures, because at least with Cardona under the WWE banner, the corporation can get it’s share of the market. In some ways, it reminds me of when the office booked him to get beaten into powder to snuff out his popularity years ago when he got himself over without the WWE machine behind him. I’m not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, but other than bringing his role as an influencer of the retail space in-house, what was the point of WWE signing him to a new contract?
I’d say that it goes without saying that the return of Matt Cardona to the WWE at the start of 2026 had a lot of potential, mostly because it was the classic comeback story, a narrative that the fans had already rallied behind, and he was more prepared for a bigger role in the company this year than he was during his original surge in popularity, but management didn’t have any serious plans for him. This injury will put him even further down the ladder in terms of priority so when he makes a comeback to the ring, it would probably be wise for him to settle into a role similar to R-Truth, where he can excel in the roles outside of the ring with PR and social media content for the organization.
Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
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