Matt Cardona Shares His Thoughts On Death Match Wrestling, Feud With Nick Gage

Last weekend, Matt Cardona made a surprise appearance at GCW Zombie Walk to attack GCW Champion Nick Gage. Appearing on Busted Open Radio, Cardona was asked by Bully Ray what many people have been asking him; has Cardona lost his mind?

"A lot of people have been texting me that, a lot of people think I'm crazy," Cardona said. "And maybe I am. But everybody's talking, so I got the response that I wanted. And it was so much fun! For so long I was a white meat babyface and to have these people, Bubba you know, when the fans really don't like you and really don't want you there? It was like a drug for me. I loved it! You were experiencing it night after night after night. I got a small taste. But oh my god, I've got goosebumps right now thinking about that night."

Cardona talked about how there is no lost between him, Gage and the GCW Universe as he calls it. Ultimately the shots directed at him by Gage and GCW forced him to stand up for himself by impersonating Gage's other rival, AEW star Jon Moxley.

"No," Cardona said. "I don't know how it started on social media, whether a fan tweeted it and I responded. And then it go kind of personal at first. I was like 'dude, I don't want to do this death match stuff. That's not my style at all.' But he just kept calling me out and calling me out. And they (GCW) even promoted me for one of their shows, when I clearly had a booking somewhere else. And they had the whole crowd, like I can't even say what they were chanting at me. So it's like, at one point I had to stand up for myself. Because I can't take that. I just got to be a man and shut them up."

Cardona also revealed that he has a deep respect for death match wrestling, despite the fact that it's not his style. He brought up how it's no joke, as he found out while hitting Gage with a DDT last weekend.

"Bill Demott told me when I was in Deep South Wrestling that wrestling's like, there's all these different flavors of ice cream," Cardona said. "And death match wrestling, I respect the hell out of it. It's not for me, it's not my style. But you know, I dropped him with that DDT, I sliced my arm open on the glass. I'm doing the offensive move. So there's no doubt it's dangerous, there's no doubt its real. Like I was walking to the back and there's just blood dripping down. I was like 'where's this coming from? Oh, it's coming from me.'

"This is legitimate. Am I crazy for getting involved in this? Probably? Am I afraid? I would be lying if I said I wasn't afraid. But I've been through way worse than a death match with Nick Gage or insert wrestler. He says he was locked up, you know I was locked up in WWE for a decade. I've done that. I beat cancer twice, I'm pretty sure I can survive Nick Gage."

Bully continued to ask if Cardona was ready for this match with Gage. Cardona reiterated he's ready to wrestle Gage in any situation and wants to not only win the GCW Championship but become the face of GCW.

"I use the catchphrase 'Always Ready', but I am," Cardona said. "Everything I do in my life, I do 110%. I'm not guaranteeing that I'm going to win. No. But I'm going to go in there and I'm going to give it my all. And if you want to see Matt Cardona with a light tube or with thumbtacks? If that's what I've got to do to beat this guy, then I'll do it. I laid out the challenge for Homecoming, GCW Homecoming in July. I want that GCW Championship.

"That's why I held it over his head. That's my goal. I didn't just come there to lay him out, I came there to shut everybody up, the GCW Universe, Nick Gage, and to take their title. He's riding that high, he had Dark Side of the Ring, he's the talk of the town right now. But I'm coming to steal everything he's worked for. I'm coming for that title, I want to be the face of GCW. And GCW, the universe, they're going to hate me for it. But deep down I know they love me, and I love my fans too!"

Cardona's appearance in GCW was a hot topic not just at GCW this past weekend but the wrestling world as a whole. It's proof to Cardona that GCW's style has a spot in the current wrestling landscape and that wrestling, as a whole, is as healthy as its ever been.

"I definitely think there's a place for it in wrestling," Cardona said. "Wrestling, on a whole, has blown up. There's wrestling on television every single night of the week. This weekend I was wrestling in Chicago and then GCW the next day. Then I have Impact. I'm busier than I ever have been and I just think wrestling is hotter than its ever been. Maybe the ratings aren't the highest ever, but look how many wrestling promotions there are. Look at how many wrestlers are making a living. It's the best time to be a wrestler and the best time, I think, to be a fan."

Cardona will face Gage with the GCW World Title on the line will take place on Saturday, July 24 at GCW Homecoming Night 1.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Busted Open Radio and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription