Matt Cardona believes his WWE comeback never would have happened if he hadn’t left Zack Ryder behind.
Before returning to WWE last year, Cardona spent several years rebuilding himself on the independent wrestling scene after his release from the company in 2020. Although Zack Ryder enjoyed success during his original WWE run, including capturing the United States and Intercontinental Championships, Cardona knew he needed something different if he wanted to reinvent himself outside the company. That reinvention ultimately led to the creation of the “Indie God” persona that helped make him one of the biggest names on the independent circuit.
Looking back on that journey during an interview with Metro UK, Cardona made it clear he doesn’t view Zack Ryder as a failure. In fact, he credits the character for making everything that followed possible.
“Zack Ryder, that’s the reason I was able to be Matt Cardona on the independents and thrive.”
At the same time, Cardona acknowledged that he needed to move on from the character in order to create something new.
“Zack Ryder needed to die for Matt Cardona to live.”
The former WWE star explained that both chapters of his career were essential in getting him back to the company.
“And I’m back now, right? I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for everything I did as Zack Ryder, then everything I did on the independents as Matt Cardona. It’s all me at the end.”
After being released in 2020, Cardona became one of the most successful wrestlers outside WWE, working for numerous promotions and building a reputation as one of the top stars on the independent scene. His work transformed him from a former WWE midcard talent into one of the hottest free agents in wrestling.
That run eventually opened the door for a return to WWE. Cardona first resurfaced on WWE programming last year in NXT and later competed in the John Cena Last Time Is Now Tournament as Zack Ryder. Earlier this year, he officially returned to the company as Matt Cardona, bringing the character he built on the independents back to WWE.
For Cardona, the lesson appears simple: Zack Ryder laid the foundation, but Matt Cardona is the version of himself that ultimately brought him back home.
Do you think Matt Cardona has been more successful as Zack Ryder or as the Indie God version of Matt Cardona? Let us know in the comments and share your thoughts.
