Matt Cardona Pulled from TNA vs NXT Steel Cage Match After Injury

Matt Cardona is officially out of next week’s high-stakes Team TNA vs. Team NXT Steel Cage match—and it all went down after a shocking ambush on the December 11 episode of TNA iMPACT.

The night opened with Cardona facing off against WWE NXT’s Lexis King in a match that carried serious stakes: the winner would earn their team the advantage heading into the 12/18 Steel Cage showdown. But Cardona never stood a fair chance.

TNA International Champion and fellow NXT star Stacks interfered in the bout, helping King secure the win. The aftermath was even more brutal—Stacks launched a post-match attack on Cardona, targeting his shoulder in a vicious assault. Steve Maclin eventually ran in to stop the beatdown, but the damage was already done.

Later that same night, an on-air injury update revealed that Cardona had suffered a shoulder injury and would be unable to compete in the Team TNA vs. Team NXT cage match. There’s currently no timetable for his return.

The confirmed lineup for the 12/18 Steel Cage match now looks like this:

• Team TNA: Mike Santana, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, Steve Maclin & TBA
• Team NXT: Stacks, Lexis King, Brooks Jensen, Tyson Dupont & Tyriek Igwe

With Cardona out, Team TNA has a major spot to fill. Who steps up next?

What do you think about Cardona’s injury angle? Who should replace him in the Steel Cage match? Drop your thoughts in the comments.