Matt Cardona’s return to WWE in January 2026 surprised plenty of fans, especially after spending years rebuilding himself into one of wrestling’s biggest independent stars. Now, Cardona has revealed that returning to WWE actually meant taking less money than he was making on the independent scene—but he believes the long-term opportunity was worth it.
Speaking with Jeremy Jacobowitz, Cardona reflected on the mindset he adopted after being released by WWE in 2020. Rather than becoming bitter or simply living off his Zack Ryder legacy, he said he made a conscious decision to reinvent himself.
“When I got released, fired from WWE, like, it was the greatest day of my life.”
Cardona explained that he believed there were only three paths after leaving WWE, and he had no interest in fading away. He used Honky Tonk Man as an example of someone successfully embracing a legacy act but said that wasn’t the route he wanted for himself.
“I knew then I had three options because I’m a student of the game. I see what happens when people leave WWE. You can fade into obscurity, right, which I wasn’t going to do. You can, you know, just be bitter and negative, fade into obscurity. Or you can, like, just coast off your WWE name forever. I don’t mean, like, the literal name. Like, Honky Tonk Man is still doing the Shake, Rattle and Roll and the jump, and I love that, and it’s great. I love Honky. But I didn’t want to still do the ‘woo woo woo’ on the indies.”
Instead, Cardona set out to create an entirely new version of himself. While he hoped WWE might eventually want him back, he also wanted to make sure his career wouldn’t depend on that happening.
“I wanted to create something new, and that’s why I decided, ‘Okay, I’m going to reinvent myself, and I’m going to change the Matt Cardona game.'” ‘Yeah, hopefully WWE wants me back, but if they don’t, that’s fine.'”
That gamble ended up paying off in a big way. Cardona revealed that his independent run became so successful that he actually earned more money outside WWE than he ever had during his first stint with the company.
“I made more money outside WWE than I ever made in WWE.”
Because of that, returning in January 2026 meant accepting a smaller paycheck than he was already making elsewhere.
“Like, I technically took a pay cut to go back to WWE. You know what I’m saying? That’s how much money I was making on the indies.”
Despite that, Cardona has no regrets. He believes WWE still offers opportunities that simply don’t exist anywhere else, and he’s betting that returning to the company will eventually pay off in ways that go beyond his current contract.
“But WWE, going back, is the ultimate opportunity. ‘Cause if it works out, it’ll be the ultimate raise, right? Like, I’m sitting here talking to you because WWE set this up.”
Cardona’s independent run proved he could thrive without WWE, but his comments make it clear he never closed the door on returning. Even if it meant taking less money upfront, he views WWE as the biggest stage in wrestling and believes the opportunities that come with being back are worth far more than the immediate paycheck.
What do you think of Matt Cardona’s comments? Would you have taken a pay cut for the opportunity to return to WWE? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
