Former WWE Superstar calls out fans for being 'smart marks'

Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder in WWE, was heated on social media and went ballistic at some fans for being "smart marks."

The reigning PWI Indie Wrestler of the Year was in Japan on Sunday to wrestle at DDT Pro Wrestling's Wrestle Peter Pan event. He came out with Chelsea Green's WWE Women's Tag Team Championship.

Fans on social media were quick to judge Cardona's decision and thought Green would get in trouble for allowing her husband to bring her title to Japan. However, she explained on Twitter that it was just a replica and not the real one.

"A REPLICA. You really think I'm letting him touch my most precious piece of jewelry? NOT A CHANCE," Green wrote.

Cardona then called out the "smart marks" for not being smart enough to realize that he wouldn't jeopardize his wife's career for the sake of his own.

"Omg! These smart marks aren’t so smart…"

The Long Island Iced Z was triumphant in his match against Tetsuya Endo at Wrestle Peter Pan to become the new DDT Universal Champion. He first appeared for the promotion in May at the 2023 King of DDT Tournament.

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Matt Cardona has been successful outside WWE

Matt Cardona was in WWE for 15 years before he was released from his contract back in 2020 as part of the budget cuts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cardona went on to wrestle for several independent promotions and gained a lot of success in the past few years.

The 38-year-old star currently holds six world championships from different promotions such as DDT Pro Wrestling, House of Glory, Squared Circle Expo, and World Series Wrestling.

Cardona was named Pro Wrestling Illustrated's 2022 Indie Wrestler of the Year. He's currently signed under the National Wrestling Alliance but is free to work for several independent promotions.

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