Bully Ray Has Faith In Matt Cardona But Has Concerns About WWE Return

Bully Ray has shared his mixed feelings about Matt Cardona in WWE, despite believing he deserves a return.

Cardona returned to WWE permanently on the first episode of "WWE SmackDown" in 2026, and Ray shared his reservations on "Busted Open."

"I personally called him and I told him congratulations. I was very happy for him," he began. "My concern for Matt Cardona is this: They're going to use him and then they're not going to know what to do with him anymore. And he's going to ride that pot pine again. I hope that doesn't happen. I hope they have him in the mix."

Ray pointed out what makes Cardona stand out while also analyzing what could hold him back in his current WWE run. 

"First of all, from an aesthetic point of view, that 'always ready' thing, just on that alone, Matt Cardona has earned the right to be on television. The fu**ing guy looks amazing. You can put him in any role you need him to be in. He's entertaining, he knows how to use his social media, he knows how to get himself over, which could be a detriment to him because in the WWE, they want to be responsible for getting you over. So I hope it's just not, 'Hey, we'll bring him back and we have an idea for him,' whether it would be with Chelsea or an Ethan or something else. And then, [WWE thinks] 'All right, well, what do we do with him now?'"

Despite Ray's doubts about Cardona's future in WWE, he firmly believes that Cardona could get back on his feet in the pro wrestling world if he were let go, as he knows how to succeed on the independent circuit.

Bully Ray reiterated that he is happy to see Cardona back in WWE and believes the promotion made the right decision in bringing him in. While discussing potential ideas for Cardona, he questioned the direction of the Cardona character and suggested a few possible partners, including his wife and SmackDown star Chelsea Green, as well as NXT North American Champion Ethan Page, who has teamed with Green on the developmental brand.

"He's proven himself. Now, whether or not the writers are in touch with what he can do is a different story. Matt Cardona is not a main event in the WWE's eyes, but they can write enough good stuff for Matt Cardona," he added. "What that is, off the top of my head, the Chelsea and Ethan thing is easy, but then we have to really look at the character. What else can the character do? Does he fight for the Intercontinental Championship? Is he more sports entertainment than pro wrestling? Who's he involved with? Is it a faction? Hopefully he has ideas to come to the table with. I think he's an excellent addition to the WWE."

The WWE legend said he was impressed by how Cardona transformed himself into a successful businessman during his time on the independent circuit, even though he knew the former Intercontinental Champion was eager to return to WWE.