Matt Cardona Comments On Change In Power At WWE

With WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque at the helm of the company's creative direction, a number of stars have returned. It sends a message that anyone could show up in WWE in the coming months, including former Intercontinental Champion Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder. Ryder recently posted a tweet establishing that his tanned, spikey-haired persona was "dead," but that doesn't mean he can't foresee an impactful run in WWE as his heelish Matt Cardona gimmick.

"Yeah, I said Zack Ryder is dead because — and listen, you said it, never say never — but if I were to ever go back, I think it would have to be as Matt Cardona," Cardona told Sportskeeda. "You know, Zack Ryder, it was what it was. I am so grateful for that run; it has set me up for this run. Without being Zack Ryder in WWE, I wouldn't be Matt Cardona talking to you now, so it set me up for everything. ... The 'woo woo woo,' the headband, the sunglasses, it's dead, and I was trying to get away from that stuff when I was still Zack Ryder in WWE."

Even if he's not working with the company, Cardona is still watching the product and believes there's been a serious upgrade in what WWW is producing each week. Returning talent such as Bray Wyatt, Emma, Braun Strowman, and Damage CTRL's Dakota Kai and IYO SKY, among others, are keeping things "certainly exciting," according to Cardona. "I mean, every week — well, not every week — but it seems like somebody is coming back or debuting or re-debuting. It's fresh, it's exciting. It's must-see TV and I think that's what wrestling should be." Since departing from WWE, Cardona has gone on to win titles in promotions such as Impact Wrestling, GCW, and NWA.

If you use any quotes in this article, please credit Sportskeeda with an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.