Matt Cardona Defends Pulling Out of Indie Dates After WWE Return

Matt Cardona says pulling out of his indie bookings after returning to WWE wasn’t just controversial—it was unavoidable.

After making his surprise return on the January 2, 2026 episode of SmackDown, Cardona’s schedule instantly shifted, starting with his removal from the February 1 Superpower Slam benefit show in New York City. The GCW and Orange Crush–co-promoted event had Cardona originally slated to face Billie Starkz in a title match. Organizers cited “unforeseen (but very exciting) circumstances” for his absence—clearly pointing to his WWE status.

Now, in a new interview with Sam Roberts, Cardona is addressing the backlash—clarifying why he had no choice but to cancel. Cardona revealed he was already booked nearly every weekend through the summer, meaning he couldn’t realistically appear on SmackDown while still honoring those indie commitments.

“So obviously—no more indie dates. No, no. And listen, guys—like I said—there’s been a couple of haters online. I totally understand that. But if I took every indie date that I agreed to, I wouldn’t be able to be in WWE. It’s as simple as that. I’m literally booked every weekend until the summer—right? Which would be when SmackDown is on. It just doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make any sense.”

Matt Cardona also made it clear that promoters who paid deposits have already been reimbursed or accommodated, and not a single promoter said anything negative to him at all.

“Any promoter who gave me a deposit—they’ve all already been taken care of. You know what I’m saying? Everybody understood. I mean, no promoter said anything negative to me.”

At the end of the day, Cardona is making big-league moves—and not everyone’s going to like it. But if you ask him, his loyalty to WWE isn’t betrayal; it’s business.

What do you think—was Matt Cardona justified in canceling his indie run to make room for WWE? Or did he leave loyal fans in the dust? Drop your take in the comments below.

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