GCW promoter thanks Matt Cardona for helping company
Matt Cardona is back in WWE now, but he’ll always be one of the most important figures in Game Changer Wrestling history.
GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale tweeted out a thread yesterday thanking Cardona for the impact he had on the indie company. Looking back on Cardona vs. Nick Gage from 2021, Lauderdale called it a masterpiece that cemented GCW as the “most influential indie of all time.”
Lauderdale also praised Cardona for how willing he was to help other talent. He never hesitated to put anyone over and even bought gear and boots for other wrestlers. Lauderdale wrote:
- Let me tell you a little bit about Matt Cardona in GCW… From day 1 he was a team player. He believed in GCW and believed in our locker room and he wanted to be here. He waved the flag and told everyone that GCW was the place to be. (still does)
- He was selfless & generous. He bought gear & boots for younger members of the roster, without seeking credit or clout. He worked w everyone and put them all over without hesitation. The memories he created will live forever and ill always be grateful & ill always be a Matt Cardona fan.
- Thank you Matt
After being released from WWE in 2020, the former Zack Ryder had a five-year run on the indies that included one GCW World Championship reign. He returned to WWE in the Last Time is Now Tournament in November 2025 and is now back as a full-time member of the SmackDown roster. He has a match against Trick Williams on SmackDown this Friday where the winner qualifies for an upcoming fatal four-way number one contender’s bout, which will determine Drew McIntyre’s WWE Championship challenger for Royal Rumble.
Cardona had to cancel months of indie dates upon his WWE return but has said there’s been no negativity from the promoters he was scheduled to work for.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.