Exclusive: Matt Cardona Starts Next Chapter With GCW Homecoming, WWE Title Run Close?

Matt Cardona spoke to MMA Knockout on Sports Illustrated ahead of his GCW Homecoming match on August 25th.

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Matt Cardona is ready for his big return at GCW Homecoming this Sunday, and he's also looking at what could be in store down the road.

Cardona was poised for a strong 2024 to build off his momentum, but he didn't anticipate suffering a torn pectoral muscle along the way. That's exactly what happened back in April, but he is ahead of schedule and will team with Broski Jimmy to take on Matt Hardy and Nick Gage inside The Showboat in Atlantic City, New Jersey on August 25th.

While Cardona has made the most of his opportunities while he was unable to perform in matches, he's now ready to remind fans just how good he is.

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Matt Cardona Speaks on Torn Pectoral Recovery

Matt Cardona in the hospital to undergo surgery for a torn pectoral muscle. / (via Matt Cardona's social media pages)

Ahead of GCW Homecoming, Matt Cardona spoke to MMA Knockout on Sports Illustrated. Some say Cardona took a page out of WWE legend John Cena's playbook by bouncing back from his pec injury before doctors expected him to gain medical clearance.

"It feels pretty good," Cardona said of his pectoral muscle. "The only way to really test it is by having a match, but as soon as I got injured and got surgery I opened up my Chelsea Green calendar and I circled the date for GCW Homecoming. I said, 'This is when I'm gonna get back."

"You talk about John Cena, I thought about doing a surprise return, but I was like, 'Nah, let's try to hype it up and build it a little bit.' But yeah, the doctor said 6-8 months and I'm gonna do it in four."

Staying Active Despite Injury

While a torn pectoral muscle wasn't something Cardona had experienced before, the savvy veteran knew that something was amiss immediately once the injury had occurred.

"Yeah, so I did a move that I've done hundreds, if not, thousands of times clotheslining an opponent over the top rope, but I just felt something pop and I said, 'Uh oh.' I've never torn my pec before, but it felt like I tore my pec. I finished the match and got an MRI and I was hoping that it wasn't, but unfortunately it was."

For the man who has called himself the "Deathmatch King," Cardona knew just how important it was to stay relevant on the indie scene despite being in the healing process.

"Needed to get surgery right away, and the first couple of days instead of feeling sorry for myself and just eating junk food, which I did eat a lot of junk food, I rebooked my whole summer. I overloaded myself," Cardona said. "As a matter of fact, my June was the most busy I've been since I left WWE in 2020, so I overbooked myself.

While Cardona was forced to refrain from stepping inside the ring for matches, he certainly found a way to make his presence felt, serving as the GCW General Manager.

"It was great, as a matter of fact, I was working more on those shows than I would if I was just wrestling unless I had a 15-minute match with my entrance, a promo, or I'm out there in 25 minutes. As the General Manager, I would have promos, I'd be on commentary, I'd do run-ins, I'd interfere in matches. So, I was all over the show as General Manager."

Cardona is well aware of the major financial burden that being injured as a pro wrestler can be if you aren't signed to WWE or AEW.

"If you get hurt in WWE or AEW, there's no guarantee that your spot is secure when you come back, but at least there's a good chance you'll come back with a nice return package, a video package, some vignettes, and you'll certainly be getting paid," Cardona continued.

"As an independent wrestler, that's the downfall of that. You pay for your own surgery, you pay for your own rehab, and you're not getting those checks unless you're working. So, that's why I knew I couldn't just take this vacation and just be off and feel sorry for myself.

"I had to go out there and work harder than I was working as an active performer."

Did Anyone Step Up During Matt Cardona's Injury Rehab?

Cardona feels quite secure with his spot in the wrestling space given that he doesn't think anyone has been able to fill his shoes.

"Well, to be honest, in the independent wrestling world I think no one has stepped up," Cardona said. "I really thought, 'Oh man, who's gonna take my spot while I'm gone?' And I don't think anyone has."

"Besides Mance Warner, who's the current GCW World Champion, I don't think anyone's stepped up. Everyone's kind of in the same spot they were in."

Evolving as an In-Ring Performer

One of the keys to being a successful performer at the top of the wrestling business is the evolution of your character. The former GCW World Champion believes his injury four months ago has helped him enter the next chapter in his growth.

"I think it was a blessing in disguise that I did get injured because it made me really revaluate myself."

- Matt Cardona on growth as a performer

"So, when I come back I can't just do the same thing I did before I got hurt. I can't just come out with the crown and call myself, 'The Deathmatch King.' I can't come out with the brown hat and call myself, 'The Indie God.' I always need to evolve. Everybody needs to evolve, and I think the injury was the kick in the ass that I needed. Like, 'Okay, I think you're getting a little too comfortable here being the top dog.'"

What Nick Gage Feud Has Meant to Matt Cardona

When Cardona was released from his WWE contract back in 2020, few could've expected that he'd transition to having bloody wars with deathmatch icon Nick Gage. While there was initial hesitation when he was pitched the idea to work with Gage, Matt Cardona certainly isn't regretting his decision to do business.

"When I was approached in the summer of 2021 to do the deathmatch with Nick Gage my knee-jerk reaction was, 'Hell no. No, no way. Absolutely not. I'm not wrestling this criminal, this deathmatch drug addict, who had just been on Dark Side of the Ring.' They documented that he almost killed David Arquette in a match.

"I didn't want to be involved in that, but then I took a step back and I realized that people are gonna talk about this and this could be the catalyst for the change that I needed, and it got more buzz than I could have ever imagined."

"That match with Nick Gage, it didn't just change my career, it changed my entire life."

- Matt Cardona on rivalry with Nick Gage

Cardona Speaks on Tag Team Partner Broski Jimmy

Cardona will once again share the ring with Gage in the aforementioned tag team match on August 25th. While most fans recognize Cardona, Gage, and Matt Hardy, some may not know much about Cardona's tag partner, Broski Jimmy.

Cardona didn't mince words on Broski's presentation, but heaped praise on his mind and passion for wrestling.

"Broski Jimmy is someone who, even on my first day at GCW, like, you look at this guy, he looks like sh*t," Cardona said while laughing. "He does not look like a superstar, but I've been in the ring with him. He has a great mind for this business, very passionate about this business, and I would say he's one of the hearts and souls of GCW."

How Close is Matt Cardona to WWE Return?

While Cardona hasn't stepped foot inside a WWE ring in almost five years, he feels a world championship reign under the promotion is closer than ever.

"I think right now in summer 2024, being released from WWE for four years, I honestly feel like I'm closer to the WWE world title than I was when I worked for WWE."

- Matt Cardona

"I'm proud to be the 'Indie God,' I'm proud to be the face of GCW, but when it's all said and done, I want to end my career in WWE. I want to have another WrestleMania moment, I want to be in Madison Square Garden, but as Matt Cardona. Zack Ryder is dead.

"I am so fortunate for Zack Ryder for the highs and the lows, the good and the bad because it set me up for this. It prepared me for this."

Aside from gearing up for his highly-anticipated GCW return, Cardona has also been at work with Brian Myers on their line of wrestling toys.

"Let's throw in that I have my own toy line with Brian Myers. We have our podcast, The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast, and we make our own toys. We have the "Big Rubber Guys," the "Major Bendies." Just go to majorbendies.com. For instance, you can right now, you can go on our website and buy a 'Macho Man' or a Harley Race 'Big Rubber Guy.' Paying tribute to the figures of the '80s, those big rubber toys we all love, or we have Joe Hendry's first figure."

Matt Cardona is eager to get back in the ring and have a triumphant return much like John Cena was able to pulled off at the Royal Rumble 2008 PPV event.

Unlike Cena, however, don't expect Cardona to cash in on a retirement tour just yet.

"[Laughs] No, not yet. I've got a lot more to accomplish."

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