Matt Cardona Eyeing Big League Return: ”I Want to End It At WrestleMania or Arthur Ashe”

Matt Cardona, previously known as Zack Ryder in WWE, never quite reached his full potential before being released in 2020. Since then, he has completely reinvented himself, finding success in the independent wrestling scene. Cardona has now expressed his desire to end his career on a major stage, specifically aiming for WrestleMania in WWE or Arthur Ashe Stadium in AEW.

In the four years since his WWE release, Matt Cardona has found renewed success on the independent circuit, earning the nickname “Indy God” for his achievements in various independent wrestling promotions.

While speaking in an interview with Steven Muehlhausen on Walkway To Fight Club, Matt Cardona talked about his goals and what he still aims to achieve. He reflected on his journey in the independent wrestling scene, stating that he has accomplished almost everything there is to do. Cardona expressed his desire to sign with a major company like WWE or AEW but made it clear that he doesn’t want to join a roster just to be another name. He wants to make sure that if he signs, it will be with a meaningful role.

Cardona mentioned that while he hasn’t received any offers from WWE or AEW yet, his focus remains on increasing his value and continuing to innovate in the independent scene. Although he’s 39, he believes he hasn’t reached the prime of his career yet. For now, he’s entering a new phase, not a complete reinvention but a fresh direction. However, he made it clear that his ultimate goal is to finish his career on a big stage, in venues like WrestleMania or Arthur Ashe Stadium, rather than smaller independent venues.

“That’s a great question. What is left to prove on the independents? I’ve done it all. Besides just reinventing myself and becoming bigger than I was in WWE, I’ve done everything there is to do on the indies and then some. So what is next? I feel like I need to sign a contract somewhere, but at the same time, I don’t want to sign a contract just to sign a contract. I don’t want to be on a roster just to be a guy on a roster. Been there, done that. Listen, if WWE or AEW called and there was a good offer with some intent to use me a certain way, of course I’d have that conversation. But I’m not gonna BS, I haven’t gotten an offer from either of those companies.

So until then, I just gotta keep raising my stock and elevating myself and trying to change the game on the independent level. I’ve said it many times, I’m not trying to pass the torch to anybody, I’m trying to light a new one for myself, and I feel like I have. But at the same time, if I could give somebody the rub or elevate somebody else, so be it. I feel like I’ve done a lot of that. But I’m 39 years old, I’m not getting any younger. At the same time, I don’t even feel like I’ve entered the prime of my career, so it’s a challenging time because what’s next? So I dropped this video just to kind of say, ‘Alright, when you see me at an indie show, you’re not gonna see the Indy God, you’re not gonna see the Deathmatch King, although I am those things.

You’re seeing, it’s not a new Matt Cardona, it’s just a fresh coat of paint. It’s just the next chapter. How long is that chapter going to be? In this story of Matt Cardona, how long is this chapter? Is it a couple weeks and then I go to WWE or AEW? Is it another year? Time will tell. Always Ready is a catchphrase I use, it’s the way I live my life and my career. I have to be ready for any and all opportunity, and that’s why I feel like I have been able to thrive on this independent level. But at the end of the day, I don’t want my career to end just wrestling in these smaller venues or these high school gyms or these ballrooms. I want to end it at big stadiums, WrestleMania or Arthur Ashe. I want to end it where I feel like I have to end it, in the big leagues on a big stage.”

Matt Cardona has also made it clear that he wants to win a World Title in WWE. Therefore, we will have to wait and see if he will return to WWE or AEW, as both companies remain viable options for him at the moment.