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Matt Cardona breaks silence after AEW return

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Matt Cardona has now broken his silence following his surprise AEW appearance during Saturday’s (March 30) edition of Collision.

Cardona, formerly WWE’s Zack Ryder, showed up to answer Adam Copeland’s TNT Championship open challenge.
AEW has now shared a video featuring Matt Cardona filmed shortly after his match. You can watch this video below.

Noting that him vs Copeland was his dream match, Cardona said:
“Yeah, this isn’t just something I would answer Q&As with on Twitter like, who’s your dream match? This is literally my dream match. I’m not even talking about our history, the Edgeheads, all that. He taught me everything that I know in this business.
“He saved my career. I’m not even talking about that. I’m saying pre me even being a pro wrestler, looking up to Adam, looking up to Jay. Those were the guys. When they made it to the top of this business, I thought maybe someone like me can and to have this match, honestly, I thought it wasn’t gonna happen.

“Adam had to retire, he comes back. We’re not in the same company, but alwayz ready, right? It’s not just a nickname or hashtag or catchphrase. It’s the way I live my life, my career, and everything that he’s taught me. Over the years, even things that he doesn’t know he taught me just by me watching.
“Before I knew him, even now, he’s the Rated R superstar, but because of what he taught me, I’m the self made superstar and I didn’t win tonight. But Adam, if you’re watching this, maybe we go to Long Island, New York, my hometown, put that title on the line, cause I’m alwayz ready.”

Cardona also took to Twitter to share a lengthy message about his AEW comeback, writing:
@RatedRCope vs. Matt Cardona…my dream match…finally happened last night at #AEWCollision.
When I was in high school, Edge was one of my favorite wrestlers. I’d have matches with him (an invisible version) in my bedroom or trampoline. Him reinventing himself into the Rated R Superstar made me an even bigger fan of his.
A couple of years later, @Myers_Wrestling and I made it to WWE but were drowning as The Major Brothers. We were about be fired. We had an idea to be Adam’s entourage…his Edgeheads. He didn’t need us but we certainly needed him. He took a chance on us, saved our careers, and changed our lives.
We went from sitting in catering about to be fired to wrestling guys like Undertaker, Batista, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, etc. We learned so much from working so close to Adam. Our first time at WrestleMania was being involved in the main event! I thought the next year at WrestleMania it’d be Edge vs. Hawkins vs. Ryder. That didn’t happen. LOL.

16 years (holy s**t!) flew by so fast. Adam had to retire due to a neck injury in 2011. My dream match would never happen. Adam returns to WWE in 2020. I get fired from WWE in 2020. My dream match would never happen.
I’ve been busting my ass these past 4 years to reinvent myself. Adam is the Rated R Superstar and I’m the Self Made Superstar. I’ve been everywhere. I’ve wrestled everyone. When Adam joined @AEW in 2023, I knew my dream match was back on the table.
Last night in Canada, Adam had the Cope Open…an open challenge for his TNT Championship. I accepted. The fans didn’t forget the history. There was a HOLY S**T chant on my god damn entrance. I may have lost but I learned even more from Adam from that match. It was a night that I’ll never forget. I finally wrestled my dream match.
Thank you Adam. Thank you @TonyKhan for the opportunity.

AEW Matt Cardonna

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