Chris Jericho believes 4-time WWE champion could be AEW's next big signing

ROH World Champion Chris Jericho has backed a former WWE Superstar as AEW's next big signing. The name is none other than Matt Cardona.

The GCW star was previously known as Zack Ryder during his run in WWE. He was a former United States, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Champion in the company but was mainly used as a jobber under the Vince McMahon regime. Following his WWE release in 2020, Matt Cardona reinvented himself and became one of the most successful stars on the independent circuit. This run also brought him opportunities like competing at AEW and the promotion's sister brand ROH where he will challenge ROH World Champion Chris Jericho on December 20th at Final Battle.

In a recent chat on the GABBY AF podcast, Matt Cardona's opponent Chris Jericho praised the former WWE Superstar. Jericho claimed that Cardona is an asset to All Elite Wrestling and explained how he is far better than Zack Ryder.

“I mean, he’s done such a great job of reinventing himself and turning himself into a star, and he’s so much more of a performer and of an asset now as Matt Cardona than he ever was as Zack Ryder. It’s similar to Jon Moxley. Think about Jon Moxley and the comparison to Dean Ambrose. It’s night and day. So of course, he would be an asset, and I think he’s done a great job since he showed up in AEW, and we’ve done a lot of stuff on Ring of Honor."

Chris Jericho further reflected on his upcoming match against Matt Cardona and claimed that they will tear the house down at Final Battle:

"Matt has done a great job, he had a great match with Bryan Keith. He’s had some great promos, great reactions because he was a surprise. So I expect that we’re gonna tear the house down [at ROH Final Battle], and I’d be very surprised if something doesn’t happen after that. Who knows? Either way, he’s done exactly what he needed to do to become more relevant than he’s ever been, and to become a bigger star than he’s ever been, and that’s why he’s in this position to begin with." [H/T: Fightful]

AEW star Chris Jericho on Matt Cardona answering his ROH World Championship open challenge

A couple of weeks ago, Matt Cardona shocked the fans by answering Chris Jericho's ROH World Championship open challenge. Both stars are set to square off at the ROH Final Battle Pay-Per-View at Hammerstein Ballroom on December 20th.

In a recent chat on Busted Open Radio, AEW star Chris Jericho acknowledged the shock factor of Matt Cardona answering the ROH World Title challenge. He further expressed the excitement for the bout at Hammerstein Ballroom.

"The fact that it's in Hammerstein, with the vibe that is expected. I don't think anybody expected Matt Cardona to answer this challenge."

The fans will have to wait and see if Matt Cardona defeats Chris Jericho for the ROH World Championship at Final Battle.