Matt Cardona says Zack Ryder is “dead”, as is his push to acquire the trademark for the name.
Cardona had a lengthy run in WWE as Ryder; he won the United States Championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the Tag Team Championship throughout his time with the company before he was released in 2020. Following his departure, he has had a successful run on the independent scene, and he has also won several titles, including the world championship in both GCW and the NWA. Cardona generated some buzz in January when he filed to trademark the Zack Ryder name, and he recently discussed the situation.
Speaking on Jason Powell’s Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast, Cardona was asked about his decision to file a trademark on his previous ring name. He noted that WWE let the trademark lapse, but the company fought him when he filed for it, so he’s backing down.
“They did let it lapse. I applied for it, knowing that there’s a chance they could fight it, and they have,” Cardona said. “So that’s it, I’m letting it go. It would have been cool to do a cinematic Matt Cardona versus Zack Ryder match. It’s not gonna happen. I’m not gonna fight because at the end of the day, it’s their intellectual property. They would win if we ever want to court over it. So I tried, they fought it, so that’s it, I’m backing down.”
Cardona went on to describe how the Zack Ryder character is “dead”, but he wanted the trademark for merchandising purposes. He stated that his time as Zack Ryder is over, and he’s grateful for that chapter of his career.
“Zack Ryder is dead, in my opinion. It’s all Matt Cardona,” Cardona said. “But I did want to have it for instance to do that Matt Cardona versus Zack Ryder cinematic match. For instance, I have my own toy company, Major Bendies, would have been cool to make a Zack Ryder versus Matt Cardona two-pack. Stuff like that, more so merchandise than participating in matches as Zack Ryder. It’s over, it’s dead. It was great. I’m grateful for that time. But it’s done.”
At NWA Nuff Said, Cardona will challenge Tyrus for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship. Check out the card here.
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