Matt Cardona, f.k.a Zack Ryder, spent more than fifteen years in WWE but never got a proper push. In his prolonged career, the former star only won the IC and US title once and the tag team championship twice. However, after being released in 2020, Cardona has held more than 10 titles across promotions. And it’s not just the championships, he claims to have earned more money after leaving WWE.
Recently, “The Long Island Iced Z” appeared on the NotSam Wrestling Podcast where he discussed his pro wrestling career. Matt Cardona talked about returning to WWE as Zack Ryder and said, if he returns, it will be under his real name. He also compared his current earnings with what he made as a WWE superstar.
Zack Ryder “made more money in 2022” than any year in WWE
While speaking on the show, Matt Cardona opened up about his earnings as an unsigned and independent wrestler. The former WWE superstar said he isn’t just getting rich; he is earning a little here and a little there. However, at the end of the year, he is making a lot of money. In fact, Matt Cardona claimed he made more money this year than any year he worked in WWE. He stated:
“This might be hard to believe, but I [Matt Cardona] made more money in 2022 than I made in any year in my WWE career. You think about that for a second. That independent wrestler, unsigned, making more money than a WWE contract. That is the truth.”
Matt Cardona feels people might not agree with the fact that an unsigned independent wrestler is earning this much money. But the hard truth is, he makes more money as Cardona than he used to as Zack Ryder.
Matt Cardona is currently holding more than one title at a time
During his time in WWE, Zack Ryder was never seen as a main-event star and was kept in the mid-card for his entire career. The only big moment for him there came in 2016 when he won the IC championship at WrestleMania. Though he lost the title just a night after winning it.
However, since leaving WWE and becoming Matt Cardona, he has been on the run of his life. He has wrestled across promotions and won multiple championships.
Right now, he is holding three titles, one of which he won more than a year ago. He has been holding the “Internet Championship” for more than 380 days ago. Plus, he is also the current “ASW Heavyweight Champion” and the “Wrestling Showcase Champion”.
Nevertheless, it seems the former WWE superstar has found his success after leaving WWE. Although he has refused to return as Zack Ryder, he is open to entering WWE as Matt Cardona. However, whether and when he will return is still unknown.
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