5 reasons why Matt Cardona must sign with AEW over WWE 

Matt Cardona returned to AEW programming last year for the first time since his early appearance in 2020 following his WWE release. The former Zack Ryder has been practicing his craft in the independent circuit, emerging over time as one of the scene's foremost names.

In December 2024, when Cardona was feuding with Chris Jericho ahead of their ROH World Championship match scheduled for Final Battle, a report suggested that AEW had supposedly made an offer to The King of the Indies. Later updates claimed, however, that the former WWE Superstar was not officially signed with the Tony Khan-led promotion—a fact Cardona confirmed during a recent interview.

Cardona has claimed to have enjoyed his time in All Elite Wrestling and is eager to leave his mark on the industry. To that end, Tony Khan should consider signing the 39-year-old star before WWE makes its move. Here are five reasons why.

#1: Matt Cardona could help elevate Ring of Honor television

While Ring of Honor is no longer the promotion it once was, the brand still regularly produces content featuring a blend of talent signed to All Elite Wrestling, some of whom are presumably working on separate deals. Tony Khan recently confirmed that he was engaging in talks regarding a TV deal for ROH, and many saw him crown Chris Jericho as the new ROH World Champion, a maneuver intended to secure such a deal.

However, The Learning Tree's recent in-ring and character work has received mixed responses at best, and the backlash to his booking as of late suggests that AEW and Ring of Honor creative need to re-assess presenting Jericho as the top guy in ROH. One way to remedy this would be to sign Matt Cardona with both promotions but showcase him primarily on Ring of Honor.

"The Complete" star has cultivated a consistent fanbase through his work in the indies, and producing him as an ROH exclusive could bring more eyes to the company's product while pivoting away from the negative press surrounding Jericho.

#2: Matt Cardona could elevate the TNT Title picture

The TNT Championship has lost some of its shine, several critics of AEW argue, especially since Adam Copeland had to relinquish it in the middle of an exciting run due to injury. The belt belongs to Daniel Garcia, who ended Jack Perry's underwhelming run at Full Gear 2024.

While Garcia remains one of the most popular budding stars of All Elite Wrestling, he has not been booked in any compelling angles built around the TNT Title itself. The Red Death joined the field of last year's Continental Classic shortly after winning the TNT belt. A feud between him and Shelton Benjamin was teased after Garcia beat The Gold Standard in the C2, but AEW has not followed up.

Then, last week on Dynamite, Garcia participated in the Casino Gauntlet Match for an AEW World Title opportunity. The 26-year-old has, to be fair, mounted successful TNT Championship defenses against Mark Briscoe and Katsuyori Shibata this year. However, some viewers still feel that the title is somewhat underexposed creatively.

Daniel Garcia, reigning TNT Champion [Source: Garcia's Instagram]

This can be remedied by having Matt Cardona dethrone his fellow New York native for his belt and resurrect his heel-independent gimmick as the Face of TNT. The Indy God could show up in different promotions with the TNT Title and defend it against their top prospects.

#3: Matt Cardona is a versatile performer

Despite being consistently overlooked and creatively stifled during his tenure in WWE, Matt Cardona managed to forge a connection with his audiences because of his versatility as a performer. The former Long Island Iced-Z shared the ring with in-ring savants like Dolph Ziggler, Daniel Bryan, and Rey Mysterio, as well as top names like John Cena, Chris Jericho, Randy Orton, and more.

MJF (left) / Matt Cardona (right) [Source: Both stars' X profiles]

While Cardona may not be the most technically gifted performer in the squared circle, he is a well-rounded wrestler with a firm grasp on the basics and the credentials to prove it. The AEW roster would offer him a wide range of opponents to wrestle with—high-caliber athletes like Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland, established home-grown stars like Hangman Page and MJF, and even former peers such as Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Jericho, Adam Copeland, and so on.

#4: Matt Cardona: International Champion

While there is no exact parallel between the two, many view AEW's International Championship as somewhat comparable to WWE's Intercontinental Championship, seeing how the belts have often been marketed and presented as the workhorse-wrestler's championship.

Matt Cardona has held the Intercontinental Title, but his run was neither long nor remarkable - a fact he could try and rectify, but with the International Championship instead.

Matt Cardona is a former WWE IC Champion [Source: WWE's website]

Cardona is known for constantly evolving his gimmick. If he ever becomes the All-Elite International Champion, he could be booked as a globe-traveling attraction defending the belt on various international platforms, such as AEW's partner promotions NJPW, CMLL, and RevPro. If handled well, this angle could provide All-Elite Wrestling with positive exposure, maintain its working relationships with other companies, and possibly attract new audiences from across the globe.

#5: Deathmatch King vs The One True King of AEW

In most of their one-on-one encounters in WWE, Jon Moxley was victorious against Matt Cardona. A while after both men departed from the Stamford-based company, they crossed paths again at GCW: The Art of War Games in 2021, where The Purveyor of Violence swiftly defeated The Deathmatch King for the GCW World Championship.

Moxley is now the tyrannical World Champion and the so-called King of AEW. He is waging war against the company alongside his soldiers, the Death Riders. Although the heel faction started hot with its annihilation of Bryan Danielson, its storyline has lost momentum. Viewers have advised the promotion online to rehabilitate Mox's character arc and credibility.

One way AEW could quickly rebuild Moxley as a top heel would be to let him make a violent example out of an established name in the industry. Matt Cardona could be the man for the job, as he could stand up to his former rival and his allies in a bid to take Moxley's World Title. The latter could then retain the belt and afterward destroy Cardona, leaving the door open for a more serious future showdown.