Author: Mike Reichlin

Despite recent changes to The Judgment Day faction, WWE Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio believes the group remains stronger than ever—thanks largely to veteran superstar Carlito, he told Jim Varsallone in a Miami Herald interview.

\”It\’s truly amazing what we\’ve been able to do with The Judgment Day,\” Mysterio said.

\”Especially since factions in WWE don\’t last very long, and the way The Judgment Day was with all of the gold we had—we had both the Raw and SmackDown tag team titles, I was taking care of NXT, I had NXT gold, [Rhea] had the Women\’s World title—we were all just dripping in gold.\”

What set The Judgment Day apart, according to Mysterio, was their unprecedented presence.

\”We were really just taking over every single show—not just Raw, it was Raw, SmackDown, and NXT. That\’s never been done before. I feel like we really did change the game.\”

Following the departures of Ripley and Priest, Mysterio emphasized how Carlito has been crucial to the group\’s chemistry.

\”It continues to evolve,\” Mysterio explained. \”Getting rid of Rhea and Priest and adding the addition of my Wita Live with Raquel and Carlito—it continues to evolve in that way. And it\’s for the best.\”

Mysterio was particularly effusive when discussing Carlito\’s importance:

\”I love Carlito and he\’s the man. I hope he sticks with us forever because he really is like the glue that keeps The Judgment Day together at this point.\”

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.

In the modern professional wrestling landscape, power couples typically follow similar career trajectories – both signed to the same promotion, often appearing on-screen together, leveraging their real-life relationship for storyline purposes. Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green have charted a different path, creating a unique dynamic that spans the industry\’s largest promotion and its thriving independent scene.

During a candid conversation on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Cardona opens up about this unconventional wrestling partnership. While Green enjoys her most successful WWE run to date, Cardona has built an empire outside the corporate wrestling structure, creating a relationship that bridges wrestling\’s often disconnected worlds.

Chelsea Green\’s WWE Renaissance

Cardona\’s pride in his wife\’s WWE success radiates throughout his discussion of Green\’s career.

\”So proud of her,\” he beams. \”Like I\’m her biggest fan. Rooting her on, you know? I get all her trading cards, all her action figures, all her shirts.\”

Green\’s current WWE run represents a vindication after her previous tenure ended with what Cardona describes as a missed opportunity:

\”I knew when she got released the first time they missed the boat, you know, and she was killing it on the indies.\”

When WWE called Green back, Cardona supported her return despite it separating their working lives.

\”When she got the call to go back, she had to go back,\” he explains, acknowledging the opportunity\’s significance.

What differentiates this WWE run from Green\’s previous one, according to Cardona, is opportunity:

\”She\’s always had the talent, but she didn\’t get the opportunity. And that\’s fine. Not everyone always gets an opportunity. But she did this time around and she is making the most of it.\”

The Opportunity Maximizer

Cardona particularly admires Green\’s ability to maximize limited screen time – a skill he cultivated during his own WWE tenure.

\”She\’s the epitome of that phrase you always hear in wrestling, maximize your minutes,\” Cardona explains. \”If she has 20 seconds in a backstage promo with six other people, you\’ll remember that Chelsea Green was there.\”

This talent for memorability in brief appearances has been central to Green\’s character development. Rather than requiring extended segments, she creates viral moments within the constraints she\’s given – a challenging skill in WWE\’s ensemble cast environment.

The Independent Entrepreneur and WWE Star

The couple\’s unique professional arrangement creates an interesting dynamic – Cardona thriving in the independent wrestling world while Green excels within WWE\’s corporate structure.

This arrangement provides both with unique advantages. Green benefits from the stability, exposure, and resources of WWE, while Cardona enjoys the creative freedom, entrepreneurial opportunities, and schedule flexibility of independence.

Van Vliet asked Cardona if he expected to get a call from WWE when Chelsea returned.

\”When all those people got rehired, I\’m not sure what the prerequisite to getting rehired was,\” Cardona responded. \”It is what it is. It\’s just everyone has a different path, everyone has a different journey.\”

The Financial Reality

Interestingly, their unconventional arrangement has proven financially beneficial. While many might assume WWE represents the pinnacle of wrestling earnings, Cardona reveals he now makes more than during his WWE tenure.

When asked if he makes more money now than his best year in WWE – \”100%,\” Cardona responds without hesitation.

This financial reality challenges conventional wisdom about wrestling careers. Through his diversified income streams – wrestling bookings, merchandise, podcast, toy company, conventions – Cardona has built a more lucrative career outside the industry leader than within it.

Meanwhile, Green benefits from WWE\’s increasingly substantial contracts, creating a household with income from both wrestling\’s corporate and entrepreneurial worlds.

Balancing Life and Wrestling

The couple\’s career dichotomy extends to their personal planning as well. When asked about starting a family, Cardona explains:

\”Chelsea and I want to start a family, but that, you know, our careers are thriving right now, especially hers. So, there\’s there\’s no time to press the pause button.\”

This career-focused approach prioritizes their current momentum while acknowledging future family aspirations. The recognition of Green\’s particularly significant career moment shows Cardona\’s support for her professional trajectory.

The Injured Superstar Support System

When Cardona tore his pectoral muscle, his independent status meant no automatic medical support.

\”I had to have Chelsea ask WWE to get me in with a surgeon,\” he reveals, explaining how his civilian status left him struggling to get timely care.

\”WWE got me with their doctor in Orlando. I had surgery in a couple days,\” Cardona explains, contrasting his experience with what might have happened without those connections:

\”If you just have a normal job, you\’re you\’re an accountant or you work in retail. I think you\’re screwed.\”

A Model for Modern Wrestling Couples

Cardona and Green represent a new model for wrestling relationships – one that spans the industry\’s often divided worlds and leverages the advantages of both. Their partnership demonstrates how wrestlers can support each other\’s distinct paths while creating a household with diversified income streams and career security.

\”We should be doing something on television, whether it be in wrestling or like some sort of reality driven thing,\” Cardona muses about their dynamic. \”It just writes itself.\”

Whether that joint project materializes or not, Matt Cardona and Chelsea Green have already created something unprecedented in wrestling – a power couple whose influence spans from WWE arenas to independent gymnasiums, from corporate wrestling to entrepreneurial ventures.

In doing so, they\’ve charted a new blueprint for wrestling couples – one where individual career fulfillment doesn\’t require identical journeys, and where supporting each other\’s distinct paths creates something greater than either could achieve alone.

In April 2020, as the world grappled with the early stages of a global pandemic, Matt Cardona (formerly Zack Ryder) was among several WWE talents released in what would become the first of many roster cuts. For many released wrestlers, this scenario represents career catastrophe. For Cardona, it became the foundation of unprecedented success.

\”I don\’t care how you define success,\” Cardona states with resolute confidence during his appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. \”This is the most successful I\’ve ever been in my career as Matt Cardona.\”

It\’s a bold claim from someone who once enjoyed WrestleMania moments and championship victories in the world\’s largest wrestling promotion. Even more surprising: it\’s demonstrably true.

Multiple Revenue Streams: The Crumb Cake Business Model

When asked directly if he makes more money now than during his best financial year in WWE, Cardona\’s answer comes without hesitation: \”100%.\” He describes his approach as a \”crumbs make crumb cake situation,\” combining multiple revenue sources into a thriving enterprise.

\”It\’s the wrestling, it\’s the podcast, it\’s the conventions, the autograph signings, the Pro Wrestling Tees, the figure business. It\’s everything all combined,\” Cardona explains.

This diversified business approach has proven more lucrative than his WWE salary, though Cardona acknowledges the landscape has changed.

\”The WWE guys now and girls, they have those big deals. I didn\’t have those giant deals.\”

Unlike many former WWE talents who either fade away or coast on their previous reputation, Cardona transformed his release into an opportunity to build a wrestling business empire with multiple revenue streams:

Wrestling Bookings: Cardona maintains a rigorous independent wrestling schedule, accepting bookings at various price points that meet his rate.

Major Wrestling Figure Podcast: Co-hosted with Brian Myers (formerly Curt Hawkins), the podcast has grown from hobby to business.

Major Wrestling Figure Company: What began as a podcast expanded into a legitimate toy company producing licensed wrestling figures.

Merchandise and Digital Content: Cardona\’s merchandise operation extends beyond traditional t-shirts to innovative items.

Whatnot Live Auctions: Every Monday at 6:30 PM, Cardona conducts live auctions selling memorabilia, signed items, and wrestling collectibles.

Convention Appearances: Leveraging both his Zack Ryder history and Matt Cardona present, he commands significant fees at wrestling conventions.

The Business Mindset: Wrestling as Enterprise

Central to Cardona\’s success is his approach to wrestling as a business rather than merely a creative pursuit.

\”If you treat it like a hobby, it\’s going to pay like a hobby. Treat it like a business, it\’s going to pay like a business,\” Cardona explains. This mindset extends beyond just showing up for bookings.

Cardona operates through \”Always Ready, Inc.\” – his formal business entity – and approaches every aspect of his career with entrepreneurial thinking. From maximizing social media presence to strategic character development, each decision filters through a business lens.

\”In the indies, I [expletive] control everything,\” Cardona says, contrasting his current autonomy with WWE\’s structured environment. \”I literally control every little thing.\”

This control extends to his merchandise strategy. \”Not everything\’s going to work,\” he admits, discussing merchandise missteps like Death Match King crowns that underperformed. Yet these failures inform future business decisions rather than discouraging his entrepreneurial spirit.

The Social Media Machine: Constant Content Creation

Cardona\’s approach to social media would exhaust most content creators. He advises posting \”10-20 times\” daily across platforms, an approach he follows religiously.

\”If I\’m not doing it, I can\’t rely on anyone else to do it,\” Cardona explains. \”I\’m literally forcing it down their throats. It\’s going to come up in their feed. They\’re going to see it.\”

This relentless content strategy maintains visibility in a crowded wrestling landscape. When someone asked about his social media schedule, Cardona checked their phone and found they\’d only posted \”three or four times\” in several days – unacceptable by his standards.

Creating Through-Lines in a Fragmented Industry

Independent wrestling presents unique challenges for character consistency. Unlike WWE\’s controlled narrative across all shows, independent promotions operate independently.

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

Cardona leverages social media to create consistency across his bookings, posting content before and after events to establish continuity. This approach allows his heel character to maintain coherence across diverse independent promotions.

The Blueprint for Others

Cardona\’s success has made him a resource for recently released WWE talent. When wrestlers are cut, his phone rings with questions about navigating the independent scene.

His transparent documentation of his journey provides a template for others. From his merchandise strategies to his business structuring, Cardona openly shares his successes and failures as a roadmap for colleagues.

Beyond Wrestling: The Figure Empire

Perhaps most impressively, Cardona has translated his childhood passion for wrestling figures into a legitimate business venture. Major Wrestling Figure Podcast began as two wrestling friends discussing collectibles but evolved into a manufacturing operation creating licensed figures.

\”We\’re not just doing wrestling now,\” Cardona notes, referencing expanding into figures for Sylvester Stallone\’s Rambo and Jean-Claude Van Damme\’s Kickboxer.

The operation benefits both Cardona and the wrestlers whose likenesses he licenses. He describes convincing Bubba Ray Dudley to sign a WWE Legends deal by explaining the complete financial picture:

\”You\’ll get paid for Mattel and then you\’ll go to these conventions and the fans will bring it to you and you make even more money.\”

Living the Dream

Five years after his WWE release, Matt Cardona embodies a new model of wrestling success – one that relies not on a single employer but on entrepreneurial spirit, diversified revenue streams, and complete creative control.

\”I\’ve been doing this for 21 years,\” Cardona reflects. \”I\’ve never had a real job in my life. I worked at a deli slicing meats… I was a personal trainer at Gold\’s Gym with no clients and a pro wrestler… This is my life.\”

For wrestlers contemplating life after WWE or fans interested in the business of professional wrestling, Matt Cardona\’s post-WWE career offers both inspiration and practical blueprint for success on your own terms.

\”I don\’t want to prove people wrong,\” Cardona emphasizes. \”I want to prove myself right.\”

Five years later, he\’s done exactly that.