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Since being released from the WWE in April 2020, Matt Cardona has made major waves on the independent scene, twice named Pro Wrestling Illustrated's "Independent Wrestler of the Year."
But despite success at growing his brand outside the WWE machine, the former Zack Ryder admitted on the "Walkway to Fight Club" podcast that he expected his efforts to result in a WWE return by now, or perhaps a contract with AEW.
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"I don't like being this big fish in a small pond," Cardona said. "If WWE or AEW called and there was a good offer with some intent to use me a certain way, of course, I'd have that conversation. But I'm not gonna BS it, I haven't gotten an offer from either of those two companies."
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion has featured in AEW, first appearing in 2020 shortly after his WWE release, briefly inserting himself into Cody Rhodes' feud with the Dark Order. However, AEW didn't invite Cardona to stick around. Fast forward to March 2024, where Cardona resurfaced again as a surprise challenger for Adam Copeland's TNT Championship. He elicited an impressive crowd pop and his performance was well-received, but Cardona left again without an offer. During his interview, he revealed it was a hard pill to swallow.
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"'Holy s***' chants on my entrance, it made me think, 'Oh my god, everything that I've been doing these past few years are working,'" he said. "A, awesome, kickass match. B, great response from the fans. C, social numbers were up. I thought I'm definitely getting a call. I'll get an offer. Phone never rang. ... at the time I was devastated.'"
Cardona recently returned to the indies after recovering from a torn pectoral muscle, and said the injury was a "blessing in disguise" as it helped him avoid complacency.

