Matt Cardona looks back on the debut of the new-look Zack Ryder.
On the May 19, 2009, episode of WWE ECW, Matt Cardona, then known as Zack Ryder, debuted a new look, as he had a different theme song and his one-legged tights. This marked the first time he used “Woo Woo Woo” as part of his package.
Cardona took to social media to respond to a tweet about the anniversary of this repackaging. He noted that he had to survive, and he had to stand out. Cardona noted that he wanted to make people notice him, and they would know his name eventually. From there, the rest is history.
As Zack Ryder, Matt Cardona went on to win the WWE Intercontinental and United States Championship. He also won the RAW Tag Team Championship. He was released in a wave of cuts in 2020, and he has since reinvented himself on the independent scene. Cardona has also worked for AEW, TNA, and NWA.
Matt Cardona Holds Himself Accountable For WWE Run
Matt Cardona previously stated that he takes the blame for how his WWE run turned out. Speaking on Swerve Strickland’s Swerve City podcast, the former WWE Superstar opened up about his time in WWE.
“When I look back, I like to take accountability for myself. And I will put all the situation… All the blame of that situation on myself. I never want to be someone who, ‘They held me down.’ Or, ‘They buried’… I never wanted to be that guy. When I look back, could I have gone to Vince McMahon and said, ‘Hey Vince, like I’m one of the top merch sellers, I’m busting my ass, I’m over as f***. Why is this happening?’ I could have. But I didn’t.
“So I blame myself for not questioning why am I here and I am going lower and lower and lower and lower down the card while I’m still working my ass off. So I blame myself. I don’t want to blame the company, I don’t want to say I was buried, I don’t want to do any of that s***. Because then like just bitter and negative and f*** well sucks,” Matt Cardona said.
Check out WrestleZone’s recent interview with Matt Cardona here:
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