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Wrestling legend Road Dogg currently works as WWE's Senior Vice President of Live Events after several years on the company's creative team. On a recent podcast episode, the 54-year-old explained why Matt Cardona could still be a valuable asset to WWE.
Cardona was known as Zack Ryder in WWE between 2007 and 2020. Since receiving his release from the company, the 38-year-old has reinvented himself to become one of the biggest names on the independent scene.
The latest edition of the Oh You Didn't Know? podcast revolved around the October 31, 2011, episode of RAW, which featured Cardona defeating Dolph Ziggler. Road Dogg discussed the former Intercontinental Champion's independent scene success and possible future in WWE:
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"Still, to this day, I think they could bring him back and he brings value. I would argue without the WWE and his time there, no matter what he uses as a name, he wouldn't have flourished on the indies without being Zack Ryder and winning the Intercontinental Championship at 'Mania and stuff like that."
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As Road Dogg referenced, the highlight of Cardona's WWE run as Zack Ryder arguably came in 2016 at WrestleMania 32. He defeated Dolph Ziggler, Kevin Owens, The Miz, Sami Zayn, Sin Cara, and Stardust in a ladder match to capture the Intercontinental Championship.
Road Dogg on whether Matt Cardona would have succeeded without Zack Ryder
Outside of WWE, few wrestlers have made as much of an impact on the independent scene as Matt Cardona in recent years.
Road Dogg believes Cardona's lengthy WWE tenure played a big part in The Indy God's success:
"In the way this goes, if he would've had to go through the indies first, it would have been a totally different conversation. But because he's got out with that – and that's a fair argument – with the Zack Ryder character being utilized, even poorly for as long as it was, he made a name for himself."
Cardona, who is married to WWE Women's Tag Team Champion Chelsea Green, often drops hints on social media that he would like to return to WWE. On October 21, he made a surprise appearance at IMPACT/TNA's Bound for Glory event.
What do you think the future holds for Matt Cardona? Let us know in the comments section below.
Please credit Oh You Didn't Know? and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
