Former WWE Intercontinental Champion claims his character was "murdered"
Matt Cardona, who is currently a massive name on the independent circuit, was once a fan-favorite performer in WWE for years. During his stint with the global juggernaut, the 39-year-old held numerous titles, including the Intercontinental Championship. He recently spoke about one of his most iconic gimmicks.
Cardona was known as Zack Ryder in World Wrestling Entertainment. Recently, he conducted a Q&A session on X/Twitter, where he was asked an interesting question.
A fan asked Cardona why the Zack Ryder gimmick died. In response, The Indy God shockingly claimed that the character was "murdered."
You can view Cardona's tweet below.
Cardona was axed from WWE in 2020 due to the COVID-19 budget cuts. He was a part of the company for 15 long years before his departure.
Following his exit from the global juggernaut, he appeared in AEW, with his most notable match in the Tony Khan-led promotion taking place at All Out 2020. He joined forces with Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall, and Scorpio Sky to take on The Dark Order.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion returned to All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. On the March 30, 2024, episode of Collision, he battled Adam Copeland for the AEW TNT Championship and lost.
Former WWE Intercontinental Champion Matt Cardona expressed his desire to face Adam Copeland (fka Edge) in a rematch
In a recent appearance on the Battleground Podcast, Cardona said he wanted to face Adam Copeland again. Furthermore, he believed that their second bout could garner much more attention than their previous showdown.
"But man, that night, it was such a spur-of-the-moment deal, and that entrance, having that entrance kind of made these four years worth it in the sense that I never wanted to prove anybody wrong. I got goosebumps right now just talking about it because it was a dream match that I thought I would never get. The Cope Open was there. I accepted, and it was literally a dream come true. Once I got a taste of it, man, I would love a round two. Certainly would love a round two."
In World Wrestling Entertainment, Cardona and Copeland were members of the villainous stable, La Familia, between 2007 and 2009. The group also consisted of Vickie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero, Curt Hawkins, and Bam Neely.