Matt Cardona’s Replacement in TNA vs NXT Steel Cage Match Revealed

Matt Cardona is out, and now we know who’s taking his spot.

During the December 11 episode of TNA iMPACT, the show opened with Cardona battling WWE NXT’s Lexis King in a match that would determine the entry advantage for the upcoming Team TNA vs. Team NXT Steel Cage Match on December 18. But things took a sharp turn when TNA International Champion Stacks interfered, helping King win—and then viciously attacked Cardona post-match, targeting his shoulder.

Later that night, an official injury report aired confirming that Cardona had suffered a shoulder injury and was medically disqualified from competing in next week’s cage match.

But the bigger twist came backstage—where Santino Marella, the on-screen TNA Director of Authority, made it official: he would be stepping in as Cardona’s replacement. The updated lineup for the 12/18 Steel Cage Match is now:

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

While Santino has been serving in an authority role, this marks a rare return to in-ring action for the former WWE Intercontinental Champion—and it’s happening inside a steel cage.

Will Santino shock the world and help lead Team TNA to victory, or will NXT’s momentum carry them through? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know if you’re backing Team TNA or Team NXT next week.