Rebranding and Hustling: Matt Cardona's Indie Wrestling Success

Ever wondered what it takes to reinvent yourself in the world of professional wrestling? Join us for a laugh-filled journey as Mac Davis and WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long recount their own "Driving Miss Daisy" style 400-mile road trip. Our special guest, the ever-charismatic Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, joins the conversation to share his inspiring journey of rebranding and thriving in the independent wrestling scene. With heartfelt reflections on his WWE days, Matt underscores his determination to succeed on his own terms, drawing admiration from Teddy and Mac for his tenacity and creativity.

In this captivating episode, we don't just stick to the stories; we dive into the nitty-gritty of managing an independent wrestling career. Matt opens up about the significance of self-promotion, the relentless hustle of overbooking, and his emotional journey from WWE superstar to indie sensation. We also explore a tantalizing hypothetical: what if Teddy Long joined GCW and faced off against Matt Cardona in an epic GM versus GM showdown? Full of laughter, insights, and a sprinkle of dream scenarios, this episode promises to be an inspiration for wrestling fans and aspiring talents alike.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Woo, woo, woo, you know it.

Speaker 2: 0:36

Hello again, everybody, and welcome to an all-new episode of Road Trip After Hours. I'm your host, Mac Davis, along with my WWE Hall of Famer co-host, Mr Teddy Long. Hey, Teddy.

Speaker 3: 0:49

Hey man, you say that every week. Okay, that's just you know.

Speaker 2: 0:51

All right, that pain in my ass is with us again this week, teddy Long there you go.

Speaker 3: 0:55

Well, now, there you go. That's exactly what I am and who I am. Okay, thank you.

Speaker 2: 1:00

I had a 400-mile trip with you the other day. It's like driving Miss Daisy, good God. Yeah, you were driving.

Speaker 3: 1:08

That's exactly right.

Speaker 2: 1:09

Yeah, and you were Miss Daisy the whole time too.

Speaker 3: 1:11

Don't make no difference. Don't make no difference. You loved every moment of it.

Speaker 4: 1:15

Oh, it was fun we had a good time, as the cold air of winter makes way for the beautiful colors of spring. A new movie is on its way. A movie masterpiece is reborn Driving Miss Daisy. This updated masterpiece stars Mac Davis as Mr Colbin and Teddy Long as Miss Daisy. Driving Miss Daisy, Coming soon to a theater near you.

Speaker 3: 1:40

Hey, man, you say that every week. Okay, that's just getting old.

Speaker 4: 1:44

My mother's a little high, strong.

Speaker 2: 1:48

The fact is you'd be working for me. She can say anything she likes, but she can't fire you. I wouldn't be in your shoes if the sweet lord jesus come down and ask me yourself driving miss daisy good luck, good god.

Speaker 4: 2:01

Driving Miss Daisy. Good luck, good God.

Speaker 2: 2:07

Let's talk about somebody that we saw while we were away that past weekend. Well, you saw some Go ahead.

Speaker 3: 2:12

I wanted to say this too. You know, right after you know, I screwed the introduction up, but I wanted to thank you and.

Speaker 3: 2:19

I'm glad to be with you this week and, like you say, we've got a real special guest here today, a man that I had the opportunity of working with through my career At one point in time. He was the assistant general manager with me and just an all-around nice guy, and I'm just so proud that we get the opportunity to have him here, because here's a man right here that didn't let anybody stop him. He was determined to do what he does and to make himself a big name known in professional wrestling, and he didn't need these companies to do it. He did it all on his own and that's what real men do. Okay, so I just want everybody to know, and just to have him on here is such an honor man.

Speaker 2: 3:00

So I guess, as Teddy's just kind of wandering off in the woods somewhere right now, I do want to tell you who our special guest is, and that is mr matt cardona. Hey, matt, how you doing brother.

Speaker 1: 3:11

Oh, teddy, thank you for the intro means a lot coming from you. Uh, hey, thanks for having me on the show. I appreciate it was great seeing you guys a couple weeks ago at that, uh, river city con. Yep, um, I didn't even know that thing was a convention, but everybody was there.

Speaker 3: 3:25

J-Law was there.

Speaker 1: 3:26

Mac O'Neill was there, sting was there, everybody was there, yeah.

Speaker 3: 3:30

Go ahead, ted, let me point this out too Now. You remember Mac. You and I were talking the other day and I said, mac, come in, that place ain't on nobody's big TV or nothing. And he had a line just as long as the hardest. And now to find out he didn't even know they was having a convention there, and to come in and walk in and get a line. Now you tell me that ain't what real men do.

Speaker 1: 3:54

Well, I found out a couple weeks before I did know. But yeah, what a great convention. The Hardys had a crazy line. Sting's line was nuts. You had to wait on a line to get an autograph. They go back in line for the picture. I want to be over a Sting, wow.

Speaker 2: 4:10

Let me ask you something right off the bat, because I you know a lot of people recognize you if they're a little bit older, as being with WWE at one time as a writer, but you always got to put a hole in it.

Speaker 3: 4:21

Well then, nobody asked you about nobody being old.

Speaker 2: 4:24

Sit back, daisy. But here's what I'm wondering Are you tired of being mentioned as Zack Ryder, or do you prefer to really be known now as Matt Cardona, because you've built one hell of a name for yourself since leaving WWE?

Speaker 1: 4:38

Yeah, I mean this is going to be a long-winded answer, but I'm forever grateful for my time in wwe as zach rider, but as far as I'm concerned, zach rider is dead. Yeah, of course, at these, at these you know these conventions at these signings yes, I have a zach rider 8x10 for the zach rider fans, because there are definitely people who come up like what have you been doing the past four years? You know, I understand that there's people who don't watch, uh, independent wrestling, don't follow social media. I get that. But my whole goal was to totally rebrand myself, to totally restart my career when I got let go from WWE. I've seen it happen to so many people they leave WWE and their career goes to the independents to die, and I wasn't going to let that happen to me. I was going to do the opposite. I was going to use all the success from WWE and flip the script, be like the anti-Zack Ryder, and it's worked so well. So far.

Speaker 2: 5:31

You know it's funny. When we were at that convention, teddy, as soon as you came up to your table he said I got to go, I got to go over here. I need to say something to you and I knew what in the magazine had told me earlier and he was absolutely right. You have busted your ass to make that name and it is to me at this point. I've seen both your careers during WWE and where you are now. I know you more as Matt Cardona than I ever did as Zack Ryder. I think your character, what you have built over this time, has been incredible. What made you make that leap? I mean, I know you didn't get picked up by WWE, but surely you had a plan already?

Speaker 1: 6:06

Well, yeah, when I got released, I knew I needed I couldn't just be Zack Ryder without the Zack Ryder name, right, I knew I needed to change. Even when I was in WWE, I knew I needed to change. But there's only so many things in your control, you know, which is fine, I get it Right. But once I was released, everything was in my control. I could control everything.

Speaker 1: 6:26

And, uh, for the first year or so, there was, uh, you know, we were in the middle of pandemic. There wasn't many Indies going on, so I kind of was just laying low, kind of you know, planning things out, but I still didn't have this, this master plan. I knew I needed a change. I didn't know what the change was. But then, once the world opened up and I started going out there with, uh, different independent promotions and there's one company called gcw and I made my debut there and they were just, you know, screaming, fuck zach rider, throwing middle fingers in my face, like, okay, I'm gonna use this, this is gonna be the catalyst and I'm gonna. You know, everything they hate about zach rider, I'm gonna make them hate matt cardona for it. Everything they think they know about Zack Ryder is going to be the opposite with Matt Cardona, and it's been working so far.

Speaker 2: 7:10

Well, let's talk about the differences between Zack Ryder and Matt Cardona. You did at one point become the Deathmatch King. Are you still the Deathmatch King? Let me ask you that.

Speaker 1: 7:19

Oh then now forever baby, that's right. Deathmatch King, that's right, that's right.

Speaker 2: 7:22

Did you ever think that you would find yourself in a death match? Because that's the. When I saw that I was actually, that brought me straight to the internet, immediately going. He did what you know he's in a death match.

Speaker 1: 7:31

That's why I did it. And people you know I've I've conned the whole internet. They think I do these death matches every weekend, I think in the past four years. I'm just good at kind of marketing and you know, going with the buzz and thriving off that buzz. But you know I was approached to do this death match. This was about three years ago and this is I credit this death match to turn my whole career around, because I knew I needed something to change something about myself. And this was the match because I knew at first. Well, first of all, let's backtrack. When I was first approached, I said, said I'm not doing this match.

Speaker 1: 8:05

No, way I'm wrestling this death match against this like criminal. And he, they just did a dark side of the ring on him at the time. He almost killed david arquette. I'm like not wrestling this guy. And then I took a step back and I thought, oh my god, people are going to talk about this. They're gonna want, they're gonna tune in to see if zach rider, right from wwe, can go toe-to-toe with this death match legend nick gage. And I knew, hey, if I'm going to do this, I can't be half pregnant. I gotta go all in. This can't be right. This can't be an odq match. I have to do everything they think I'm not gonna do, do yes. And when I did, uh, and then of course I I win the mattress, the cherry on top. But just having that match changed everything for me and it's what I needed to to to kickstart this independent run.

Speaker 3: 8:56

Let me ask you you showed them then that they can't stop you. That's right. That's what you showed them then, and you didn't back down from the test. All that was was a test and Nick Gage, jesus Christ, for a man to step in there with him. You know how good he is, he will do anything he will. So for you to be man enough to step in there with him and put your body and maybe your life on the line. You know, I got to give you nothing but respect and just listening to you. Now that's what I'm trying to say. A lot of guys, you know they get let go, they go fall into a hole somewhere. Well, I don't know what to do, and you know. And then they just bum out. But you didn't bum out, you didn't worry about that. You didn't let that stop you. You went on and made a name for yourself and just like you can do it, they can do it. That's why I'm so proud of you, man.

Speaker 1: 9:43

Godly god bless you oh, teddy, that means a lot. When you said to me, teddy, you know he's saying this right now publicly, but he said to me the other day privately, you know. So it means a lot, I know he means it. Uh, yeah, I just knew, like you know, when I left wwe, you know this was not going to be the end, this was going to be the beginning. And I know that sounds so cliche and it's oh so cheesy even repeating it, but that's that's truly the mindset I had, like this is not going to be the end, this is going to be the beginning. And every time, you know wwe does the, the mass cuts guys, it's part of the business. It's going to happen. People are going to let go all the time, but it's what you do. Afterwards you're going to sit and feel sorry for yourself. Are you going to use that momentum to change your career?

Speaker 3: 10:23

And you got to let people know. Once you get let go of that, life goes on. You still have to continue to live. That's number one. The worst thing you can do is to let them know you need them. That's the worst thing you can do. So I'm just saying I'm like you, I am happy man, I am rested, I'm my own boss now. I ain't under no contract, I can talk now I can tell my story. You know what I mean. And a lot of things.

Speaker 3: 10:49

I can tell that I haven't told you know, because I've been in this over 30 some years. So I'm just saying, man, I survived it with the help of God and you did your thing, man, we, we, we we're the true OGs as you would say.

Speaker 1: 11:02

I love hearing that. Thanks, Teddy.

Speaker 2: 11:06

Tell me real quick what is it like for you, Cause you know for a lot of guys who are on the independence, or even those who are working in some of the big companies, if they want to go out and do what you have done, it requires a lot of work. What is an average day like for you?

Speaker 1: 11:21

Well it's. It's funny you say that because you know right now I'm out with an injury, so technically I should be out. Right, I should be out. But no, I won't let the momentum die. My June is the busiest I've been since I got let go from WWE.

Speaker 1: 11:33

I think I overbooked myself, I overcompensated after I got hurt. You know, trying to cause I had to cancel, cancel something, switch some things around and I ended up kind of screwing myself. I overbooked myself. Oh. But the thing is, you know I don't work for WWE, I don't work for a W. So who's going to push me? I have to push myself.

Speaker 1: 11:49

If I'm not on social media constantly, I can't rely on someone. If Drew McIntyre is like you know what, I'm not going to be on my phone today, that's fine, because WWE is going to post about them. I don't have that luxury. You know I have to keep posting, I have to keep forcing things down your throat. So even if you're not going to these independent shows or even order them, ordering them on, you know the streaming services. You know what I'm doing, you know that I'm out there. So I'm just forcing people to know what I'm doing. I just will not stop. Uh, I'm trying, I wrestle everywhere I can, whether it be the independent shows that are going to get me a lot of buzz or the independent shows that I won't get a tweet about. I'm doing the big shows, the small shows, just trying to cover all my bases. I'm doing the shows where the fans in the front row are flipping me off and I'm cursing and flipping them off, and then I'm also doing the shows where I'm like he's pulling my hair ref.

Speaker 2: 12:39

You know I'm doing it all.

Speaker 1: 12:44

Because there's fans everywhere, all around the world, and I'm just trying to make them all know who McAdona is.

Speaker 3: 12:49

And you've got the real creative control.

Speaker 1: 12:52

That's right. My creative has everything for me.

Speaker 2: 12:56

That's right. Let me ask you, you know I'm noticing the belts over your shoulder there. That's right. Let me ask you, you know I'm noticing the belts over your shoulder there and, uh, the nwa world's heavyweight championship being one of them, uh, with the nwa uh champion at one time. Of all the belts that you've had, is there one that means more to you than the other?

Speaker 1: 13:11

oh, man, I mean the nwa world's heavyweight title hey, listen, super honored to to be, you know, in the the record books with some of those great champions. But you know, I think the cliche answer and it's it's the truth was winning the intercontinental saddle at WrestleMania. Um, you know, it was a match that I wasn't even supposed to be in, you know. And uh, someone got hurt the week or two before and I, one of the one of the times that me politics for an idea worked, I kind of just pitched the, I just spilled my guts why I deserve to be in that match and why, you know, I uh, one of the lines I said, which wasn't even a planned line, was I never heard my music play at WrestleMania, and that's what actually that, that road dog was the head of creative at the time. He said that's the line that stuck with him because, believe it or not, I had a WrestleMania match once before.

Speaker 1: 14:01

But I came out to Teddy Long's music because I was on Team Teddy. Yep, listen, I was in all those jabroni, battle royals and those lumberjack, but the only real match I had before that ladder match was being on Team Teddy versus Team Johnny. Part of that match which was so cool being on, uh, team teddy versus team johnny part of that match, which was so cool, but at the time, like all right, my wrestlemania moment or my is getting kicked in the balls by eve after the match. Right, and all the photos that they took the the screen is a giant picture of teddy's head, so I'm like I'm coming out to the ring.

Speaker 1: 14:36

it doesn't say wrestlemania, it's just a giant photo of Teddy's head. So I'm like come on, peanut head on the screen. As great as that match was, I really wanted to hear my music at WrestleMania and have my entrance.

Speaker 3: 14:50

Yes.

Speaker 1: 14:54

Just having that entrance was the win, and then, of course, actually winning the title made the night so much more memorable. But just getting that entrance and hearing my music play at WrestleMania, that was the win for me.

Speaker 2: 15:04

Yeah, I remember actually a sketch I know that you were just talking about you and Teddy I do remember a sketch where there was an argument about whether you were the assistant or the assistant general manager. Teddy kept saying you're just the assistant. But at one point you got Khalid to come in there and do the woo woo woo, which was absolutely woo, woo, woo. But y'all's chemistry on screen I thought was really good you and Teddy, both, it was natural.

Speaker 3: 15:32

I can work with anybody, okay, anybody. You see me with. Whatever we do, we get it over, we have no problem. Anytime I can lay in a coffin and be headlined with Undertaker. That tells you right there, I can do anything.

Speaker 1: 15:49

I mean, teddy is one of those guys. If that Teddy Long music hit today, wwe on Independence, the place would go nuts. You know, because of all that stuff he did as the general manager, just the character work. You know, because of all that stuff he did as the general manager, just the character work. You know the storytelling. He's such a lovable character that you know it'll live on forever.

Speaker 3: 16:08

Yeah, thank you. Thank you, zach.

Speaker 2: 16:11

I know that we're running short on time, but, Matt, real quick. You have a podcast of your own. I do want to get that over as well. Tell us about the podcast, because this is something Teddy may not be aware of.

Speaker 1: 16:20

Oh, so I have a podcast called the major wrestling figure podcast. Myself and Brian Myers AKA Curt Hawkins we actually started while we were in WWE, kind of just doing nothing. We're like, hey, let's, we have all this downtime, let's, let's, let's do something. And we started figures and wrestling collectibles, uh, and it's been just about six years doing it every week. Uh, you guys know, podcast is paying the ass to schedule. You know how it is. Yeah, uh, we, we've done it every single week, never missed a week. Uh, I will say this teddy log, somebody doesn't have enough action figures out there, correct?

Speaker 3: 16:53

we talk about that all the time. You want to know why. You want to know why about matt? And you may not know this, but John Laurinaitis told me to my face the reason I didn't have the action figure because the consumers told him they would not buy my dog.

Speaker 1: 17:08

Well, I don't know about that.

Speaker 3: 17:11

I can tell you about it. It's a straight-up lie. I'll tell you what it is.

Speaker 1: 17:16

I think there's so many smaller companies out there Now, if you don't have a w legend deal, I'll make some calls. After this interview. We'll get teddy long, a new action figure for sure well, I do have a ww legend deal, I do have that.

Speaker 3: 17:29

Okay, I don't know I don't know how long I'll have it, because I said something earlier where you can't let them. You know, don't? You don't need them, and I'm just being straight up, which is life after life after wrestling. I'm not one of those guys that sit around and I used to hear this all the time Some guys get let go, they call that office every day. Y'all got anything for me. Y'all you know anything, and I hear that's the truth. I never called that office, not one time, never. Only time I talk to that office is when they give me a call.

Speaker 2: 17:57

And Matt you make you were just referencing a minute ago. You actually make action figures now your company, right yeah?

Speaker 1: 18:04

So we make our own action figures pretty wild, you know. So it's it's. It's unfortunate that I get to still wrestle I have a podcast about wrestling figures and actually make wrestling figures Like is it hard work? Like yes, but is it really work at the end of the day? You know, I'm doing what I love to do. I'm talking about men in their underwear and I'm making figures of men in their underwear. Things could be a lot worse than that, you know.

Speaker 3: 18:27

That's right.

Speaker 2: 18:28

Matt, I appreciate your time. Real quick if you've got a road story you can share with us. I didn't even have time to ask you that. And if you got one, you got one.

Speaker 1: 18:35

If you don't, don't worry about it, but, man, I think all those La Familia days you know Teddy was around for that when it was me, edge, chavo, vicky. You know, teddy, you know it was just unbelievable times. You know, like I remember the Teddy having the heart attack. That was, that was pre La Familia, that was a different one. There's so many times just being on stage and just like Vicky had so much heat during that time. I remember sometimes, like you know, I'm trying to figure out if I had to talk in the promo, like when do I talk? Because I can't even hear over Vicky with this microphone.

Speaker 3: 19:07

You know what I mean.

Speaker 1: 19:10

And she's getting all these boos. Just that La Familia time was just very important for me for so many reasons, because you know I get to work with. You know Teddy and Chavo and Edge Adam, like in the backstage stuff, learn how those work, because that stuff is more, in my opinion, is more important than the ring.

Speaker 3: 19:28

Yeah, but that's the center, that's the stage.

Speaker 1: 19:31

Sure, and if the characters don't connect to the audience, then we're just doing moves in the ring, correct. But on the flip side, you know I was learning the things in the ring from Edge, you. But on the flip side, you know I was learning the things in the ring from Edge. You know, from Chavo. You know Edge wrestling these main event matches and me and Hawkins would be ringside literally having a better seat than the front row. You know, listen to little things, watching little things, so that whole La Familia run, whether it be the backstage stuff or the in-ring stuff, it was just an invaluable lesson that at the time I don't think I really realized what I was learning. You know I was such a young kid at the time.

Speaker 2: 20:04

It's not until you look back later like oh man like, I'm so grateful for that time period of my career. Well, matt, thank you very much.

Speaker 3: 20:14

Teddy, before we get out of here, anything, you want to say yeah, I want you to hurry up and close the show.

Speaker 2: 20:18

Yeah, look, you're just rude now, matt, again, thank you very much for taking the time to be with us today and, as teddy said, we are so impressed with what you have managed to pull off and actually you baked on yourself and it's turning out great for you and I love to see that well, I appreciate that and even now, you know now that I'm injured.

Speaker 1: 20:34

It's funny because in gcw that's the death match company. Yes, I am now, instead of you know, just sitting home. I'm the general manager of GCS. Yes, you are Wow and everything I learned from being Teddy's assistant.

Speaker 2: 20:47

You know what I'm saying? It's coming to play.

Speaker 1: 20:51

But that's the beauty of this death match promotion I come out in a suit as the general manager.

Speaker 2: 20:56

They absolutely hate it.

Speaker 1: 20:58

I just do things that would be done at WWE and on these certain independent shows. It's like they treat me like I'm the devil for doing anything that I would do at WWE. It's so fun. I think if Teddy Long ever came to GCW, maybe GM versus GM I think Teddy would be a big pop.

Speaker 2: 21:18

Yes, that would be cool. That would actually be really cool.

Speaker 3: 21:22

If we do, it'd be, it'd be team teddy team matt.

Speaker 1: 21:27

I love it, I love it all right, we're out of time.

Speaker 2: 21:29

I am back, davis, your host, that's wwe hall of famer, they know that. And of course, our special guest. Just ignore teddy old cranky teddy off in the corner there. Our special guest guest, matt Cardona. Matt, thank you again very much.

Speaker 1: 21:43

Thank you for having me guys Appreciate it.

Speaker 3: 21:44

Thank you, matt. I love you, brother. See you down the road. Thanks, all right, thank you.