Five years after his WWE release, Matt Cardona has achieved something remarkable in professional wrestling: relevance without television. In an industry where visibility typically correlates with weekly TV exposure, Cardona has not only maintained his profile but amplified it, becoming more successful than during his 14-year WWE tenure as Zack Ryder.

Speaking candidly on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Cardona reveals the strategic thinking behind his character evolution that has led to unprecedented independent success.

The Death of Zack Ryder

“Zack Ryder’s dead,” Cardona states matter-of-factly. “And I don’t mean that in a negative way. Zack Ryder set me up for Matt Cardona.”

This clear-eyed assessment of his former persona reveals Cardona’s pragmatic approach to wrestling identity. Rather than clinging to past glories or resenting his release, he recognized the opportunity for reinvention.

“I think Zack Ryder set me up for Matt Cardona,” he explains. “That intercell title, I’m grateful for it. What a moment that was. It was my Wrestlemania moment that I will never forget.”

This perspective – appreciating the past while focusing on the future – has allowed Cardona to leverage his WWE history without being defined by it.

At wrestling conventions, he estimates “75% Matt, 25% Zack” when it comes to autograph requests, showing his successful transition while maintaining the marketability of his previous character.

The Indie God and Death Match King: Creating Perception

Perhaps Cardona’s most brilliant character work came with his transformation into the self-proclaimed “Death Match King” – despite having only one actual death match.

“People say all the time, ‘Oh, man. I love all your death matches.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, thanks, bro. The one, but I’ve worked the whole wrestling world into thinking I’m this deathmatch wrestler because I had one,'” Cardona reveals with a knowing laugh.

This sleight of hand – creating a perception larger than reality – demonstrates Cardona’s understanding of wrestling psychology. By leaning completely into the character, wearing a crown, and repeatedly claiming the title, he made it real in fans’ minds.

“Perception is reality,” Cardona notes. “I used to hate that saying, but it’s true. It is so true.”

The Complete Matt Cardona: Building a Character with Layers

Following a pectoral injury that sidelined him in 2023, Cardona needed yet another reinvention.

“I can’t just come back wearing that crown or that indie god hat again,” he explains. “I needed a fresh coat of paint.”

The solution became “The Complete” Matt Cardona – a nickname with multiple layers of meaning that encapsulates his entire wrestling journey.

“It means so many things,” Cardona explains. “Like the total package like Lex Luger, like I can do it all. I looked apart. I wrestled apart. I talked apart. Or the complete like everything that led to this point in my career, whether it be the major brothers or the YouTube broski stuff or winning the IC title or getting fired, then the death match king, the indie guy, everything wrapped into one, is the complete Matt Cardona.”

This approach to character building – creating a nickname with multiple interpretations and layers of meaning – shows a deeper understanding of wrestling psychology than the one-dimensional characters often seen on television.

The Heel Turn WWE Never Gave Him

Central to Cardona’s independent success has been his transformation into a heel – something he longed for but never received in WWE.

“I would have loved the opportunity to show the different side, the heel side, if you will, but in WWE, like you could pitch all day. They’re not necessarily going to do it,” Cardona explains. “On the Independence can do whatever I want.”

This creative freedom allowed Cardona to “organically turn heel” on the indies, finding a character space that resonates both with his natural talents and audience expectations.

“I love that the fans hate me now,” he says. “I think they’re starting to love to hate me, which is fine, too, because they’re still buying my merch.”

Creating Through-Lines in Fragmented Indies

Independent wrestling presents unique challenges for character continuity. Unlike WWE’s controlled weekly narrative, independent shows are isolated events, often with completely different audiences.

“There’s so rarely a through line in independent wrestling,” the interviewer notes. “You can work as a baby face on Saturday, go to another town on Sunday, you’re working as a heel.”

Cardona overcomes this fragmentation through social media and streaming platforms.

“Independent wrestling 10 years ago, if it happened in New Jersey, it happened that night in New Jersey,” he explains. “Now it’s streaming. People can watch all over the world.”

By aggressively promoting events before and after on social media, Cardona creates continuity between otherwise disconnected shows. This modern approach solves a traditional problem of independent wrestling – the difficulty of building coherent character arcs across different promotions.

The Psychology of Entrance and Reintroduction

Cardona’s understanding of wrestling psychology extends to his approach to entering unfamiliar markets. He credits William Regal with a crucial lesson:

“Every time you walk through the curtain, you have to pretend that they don’t know who you are,” Cardona recounts. “You need to reintroduce yourself and tell that story in the ring.”

This principle informs how Cardona approaches performances in different markets. Rather than assuming name recognition, he reestablishes his character in the opening moments of every match.

“For me, it’s just so easy because I’m this chicken [expletive] heel,” he explains. “It’s as simple as like ding ding ding, like we’re about to lock up. I just roll out of the ring.”

These simple but effective heel tactics – avoiding contact, breaking high-five promises, ripping signs – allow Cardona to quickly establish character regardless of the audience’s familiarity with his work.

Being Uncool: The Secret to Effective Heel Work

Perhaps most significantly, Cardona understands something many modern heels miss: the willingness to be genuinely uncool.

“I feel like these bad guys now, they don’t want to be uncool. I have no problem being uncool, you know?” he says.

This commitment to genuine heel work – eschewing the “cool heel” phenomenon that often undermines true heat – has allowed Cardona to generate authentic negative reactions rather than the performative boos often directed at popular villains.

Moments Over Moves

Cardona’s character-first approach extends to his ring philosophy.

“I tell people on the indies when they ask for advice, it’s not about the moves. It’s about the moments,” he explains.

This philosophy prioritizes emotional connection over athletic spectacle – understanding that wrestling’s most memorable elements are rarely the moves themselves but the moments that give them meaning.

Cardona illustrates this with a perfect example: “Rock-Hogan, right? Arguably the best match of all time. If you have two indie guys, random guys do that match move for move at some random show, it’s going to be the worst match ever. But the people were invested in those two men, those two characters, the story.”

The Complete Package

Five years after his WWE release, Matt Cardona has demonstrated mastery of the art of wrestling reinvention. Through strategic character development, psychological understanding, and adaptation to modern media landscapes, he’s crafted a character with greater depth and profitability than his television predecessor.

“This is the most successful I’ve ever been in my career as Matt Cardona,” he states with conviction.

For wrestlers, fans, and students of character development, Cardona’s post-WWE evolution offers a masterclass in the art of reinvention – proving that in wrestling, perception is reality, and a wrestler with control of their narrative is never truly constrained.