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Matt Cardona Admits Post-WWE Death Match 'Changed My Life' (Exclusive)

Matt Cardona took a risk and it's paid off.

Steven Muelhausen

Wrestling superstar Matt Cardona
Wrestling superstar Matt Cardona / Matt Cardona

More often than not, when a wrestler gets released by WWE, their career goes in one of two directions: One is get signed by AEW or TNA. The other option is go to the independents with the hope of landing in one of those two organizations or back in WWE. Though when you enter the indy scene, it requires you to put in the extra work that isn't always necessary with one of the other three companies.

In the case of Matt Cardona, he took a different route and it's paid off in spades. Cardona was released by WWE in April 2020. Some get despondent when they get fired. Not Cardona, as he knew he wanted to get out there. He could only succeed so much in WWE with the Zack Ryder moniker attached to him.

Instantly, Cardona generated buzz when in his appearance after his release, he debuted on the July 29, 2020 episode of AEW Dynamite, saving Cody Rhodes from an attack. It was a short-term deal that expired that September as at the time, Cardona didn't want to be locked into any long-term contract.

Cardona returned to AEW for a one-off on April 30 on an edition of Collision when he accepted an open challenge of then-TNT champion Adam Copeland. The social media video generated over 1.5 million views, showing the power of Cardona as AEW videos rarely get to those levels.

Then at the beginning of 2021, Cardona surprised many when he appeared on Impact Wrestling in what has been an on-again, off-again relationship.

While he had become one of the bigger names of the independent scene, little did Cardona know he would be on the verge of becoming "the guy" outside of WWE. In a shocking turn of events, on June 6, 2021, Cardona debuted for Game Changer Wrestling when he dressed in a cape and attacked their biggest star and death match icon, Nick Gage, and challenged him for the GCW Heavyweight title.

"I'm not here right now talking to you," Cardona boldly admits to The Takedown about the match with Gage.

They squared off on July 24, 2021, in a death match for the gold. From head to toe, Cardona was covered in blood. In a shocker, Cardona won the belt in one of the most violent matches you'll ever see.

The match proved to be a giant success as it was the No. 1 trend on Twitter, surpassing the Summer Olympics and a UFC event. He ended up selling parts of his bloody white shirt and bloody jeans and made action figures of himself from the match. Due to the match and aftermath, Cardona became known as "The Death Match King" and "The Indy God". Overall, the match proved to be a great financial success. He became and still is the biggest name outside of WWE and AEW, appearing for promotions all over the world.

"I'm not here right now talking to you," Cardona boldly admits. "That match trended over UFC and the Olympics. This wasn't a WWE or AEW show. It's an independent wrestling show. Okay, let's just say that. But let's take another step back. I'm approached to do this match. My first reaction is, hell no. My gut reaction, my knee-jerk reaction, is no way. I'm not wrestling this criminal. This death match guy. He was just on the Dark Side of The Ring at that time. Almost killed David Arquette. I'm not going wrestle this garbage, trash, Death Match stuff.

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"And then I took a step back. I said, ‘Wait a minute. Hold on a second. People are going to want to see Zach Ryder, the woo-woo guy, get carved up by Nick Gage and his pizza cutter. I have to do this. And if I'm going to do it, I'm not just going to dip my toe. I'm going to do a fucking cannonball into this death match pool. I'm going to be all in’. 

"If you watch that match, this isn't a glorified street fight. This isn't some no-DQ stuff. We don't take out a little door. This is a death match. Light tubes, pizza cutter, panes of glass. I went all in. I got the scars to prove it. But that match, not only did it change my career, it changed my life. If it wasn't for that match, I would not be sitting here today. I would just be another guy in the indies."

Three years later, Cardona has reinvented himself yet again, known right now as "The Complete".

Will this new version of Cardona produce another death match that has the country talking?

"There's no way I'm going to do what I did with Nick again because I'll never top it," Cardona proclaims. "I'll never top that buzz. I'll never tap that magic. That match was just perfect for me. It did so much for my career, (and) did so much for my life. To this day, you know, there's haters online, or people to my face say, “Death Match King, you've only had one’.  Well, guys, that's the heat."

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Steven Muelhausen
STEVEN MUELHAUSEN

: Steven Muehlhausen is a veteran combat sports writer for various outlets including Sporting News and Yahoo Sports. He can be reached at stevemuehlhausen@yahoo.com and followed on Twitter @SMuehlhausenJr.

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