Independent wrestling star Matt Cardona (formerly known as Zack Ryder) was recently interviewed as a guest on TMZ's show, "Inside the Ring." The "Indie God" spoke on a myriad of topics, such as the travel schedule in the independent wrestling scene, his major wrestling figure podcast with Bryan Myers, and how a rabid crowd in GCW forced him to become a bad guy in the indies.
The independent wrestling scene can take a toll on a wrestler's body, with flights scheduled almost every other day. However, Matt Cardona believes that this is the only option for him to keep moving forward.
"I think I am burnt out. But the only option is to keep moving forward, to keep reinventing myself, to keep trying to elevate myself, and to keep changing the game. When I left WWE five years ago, it was the beginning of the pandemic. I was released from WWE, and there was nowhere to go. The independent wrestling world was shut down with all the social distancing. But once the world opened back up, I just dove headfirst into the independent wrestling scene, and I absolutely loved it.
There are certainly some days where I'm in the middle of West Virginia and thinking, 'What am I doing with my life? Nobody will ever see this show. There won't be a post on social media about it.' But then, there are days where I absolutely love this, and I feel like I'm doing exactly what I'm meant to be doing.
I'm so grateful for my time in WWE, as I was there for almost 15 years. Without that, there would be no Matt Cardona on the indies. Everything I learned in WWE, I will use to dominate the indies," Cardona began.
Along with Brian Myers (formerly known as Curt Hawkins), Matt Cardona started a podcast in 2018 called "The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast." The duo films vlogs about their collection of wrestling action figures.
"It was just a podcast about wrestling collectibles because we love wrestling collectibles. That's how we [Bryan and Matt] became friends, and we knew that there were other adult collectors out there. You know, like in 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin,' the guy was a virgin, a loser for collecting toys. We wanted this to be accepted. I want people to be proud of their fandom, not ashamed.
When I was collecting in high school and college, I would literally hide my collection in my closet so if I brought a girl home, she wouldn't see it. And I want to break all that. I want it to be cool to collect. I think we're finally breaking down those barriers, which led to the toy company. I would bring a girl over to my house, and I'd be like, 'Look at my room.' It was the craziest room ever. I have a giant Elimination Chamber just above my bed, and it's like, 'It is what it is.'
Here at the office, some of us have our action figures on top of our desks. We've been making it a normal thing. We're progressing here; we're making it normal. People are loving it," Cardona added.
Unlike most independent wrestlers who grind and make a name for themselves in the indies before transitioning to WWE or AEW, Matt Cardona has had an opposite career path. After being with WWE for 14 years, starting at the age of 20, he shifted to the indies and is now known for giving advice to talent on the road.
"I saw that it wasn't that the talent was lacking, because there are certainly a lot of talented people who are definitely better than me in the ring. Rather, they weren't capitalizing on social media. They weren't monetizing; they weren't handling their own merchandise or connecting with the audience. The moves are great, right? But anyone can learn how to do those moves. It's about the connection and the moments," Cardona elaborated.
After leaving WWE, Matt Cardona didn't have a proper gimmick in the independent scene. He didn't want to be simply "Zack Ryder" using his real name. It was at GCW that he found his real footing.
"It took me a while to figure out who I was. Even on the independent scene, I was a good guy for the first few months. But once I went to GCW and that rabid, hardcore crowd, they absolutely hated me just because I came from WWE. Then, a light bulb went off. I was like, 'Oh my god, I could use being in WWE to my advantage and make people hate me because I came from WWE.' And that's exactly what I've done.
For the past four or five years, I've been taking over the independent scene as the top bad guy. It's 2025, so before the show, I'll be nice to you and sign your autograph and take your money. But when the show starts, everybody knows that Matt Cardona is the person you want to boo. You want to flip off; you want to bring a negative Matt Cardona sign. You want to chant something negative at me. And I absolutely love it," Cardona revealed.
Matt Cardona doesn't restrict himself to the USA. He has also been overseas and loves visiting other countries because the crowds abroad are often loud.
"I've been to Australia, Japan, Mexico, and I was just in Qatar earlier this year. I'll go anywhere. The beauty of what I do is that if you pay my fee, I'll be there. I don't discriminate against a booking. I will be there if it's a big show or a small show. That's why I truly believe I am the Indie God, because I will be there.
This year, I went to Qatar and Australia. I love going to these international markets because they don't get wrestling that often. So, when we're over there, they're just die-hard fans—super loud, super appreciative. I love going overseas," Cardona concluded.
