Matt Cardona
Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently performing for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) and on the independent circuit under his ring name Matt Cardona. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryder.
| Matt Cardona | |
|---|---|
Cardona in October 2021 | |
| Birth name | Matthew Brett Cardona |
| Born | May 14, 1985 Merrick, New York, U.S. |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Website | mattcardona |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) |
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| Billed height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Billed weight | 224 lb (102 kg) |
| Billed from | Long Island, New York |
| Trained by | Mikey Whipwreck |
| Debut | 2004 |
Cardona debuted in professional wrestling in 2004, teaming with Brian Myers on the independent circuit. Both men were signed by WWE the following year, making their main roster debuts in 2007. After the team split in 2009, he made appearances on WWE's ECW brand until 2010, following which he was featured sparingly on television. In 2011, he launched a YouTube web series in which he proclaimed himself WWE's "Internet Champion"; this, along with his creative use of social media, helped him establish a substantial cult following. Over the course of his time with WWE, Cardona held the Intercontinental, United States, and (Raw) Tag Team Championships (the latter with Hawkins on two occasions).
After being released by WWE in April 2020, Cardona has made appearances in major wrestling promotions including All Elite Wrestling, Impact Wrestling, and the National Wrestling Alliance, as well as the American independent circuit, most notably in Game Changer Wrestling (GCW). He has since won various championships including the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship, Impact Digital Media Championship, and GCW World Championship. During this time he received critical praise, being named Indie Wrestler of the Year in 2022 and in 2023 by Pro Wrestling Illustrated.