“The Indy God,” Matt Cardona, exclusively spoke with PWMania.com‘s T.J. Stephens about a wide range of topics, including his working relationship with Steph DeLander, winning the WWE Championship being on his bucket list, addresses rumors about him and AEW, and much more.
Make sure to check out Matt Cardona’s toy line, Major Bendies at MajorPodMerch.com and follow him on social media, @TheMattCardona. Promoters can book Cardona by emailing [email protected].
You can check out the complete interview below:
I was just going over some of the stuff you’ve been doing on Twitter, and I saw a beef with Craig Carton. What’s the deal with you and Craig Carton?
He started something the other day. This is not me saying ‘I don’t even know who this guy is.’ I don’t watch sports. So I certainly don’t listen to sports radio shows. I don’t know who he is. But I was sent a clip of him, just him being an ignorant a**hole, when mentioning me, saying, you know, we’re not gonna get into all that. But, don’t f*** with me, you’re f***in’ with the wrong person, you know? Then he starts his tweet saying, I collect figurines, blah, blah, blah. Just the easiest stuff that an ignorant person would say, ‘you’re not in WWE, you’re washed up.’ Like, this motherf***er doesn’t realize I made more money last year than I made my entire WWE run. I just don’t like ignorant people, and the fact is, I offered to fly myself and have a debate with him on his show, and he’s a p****, he’s not responding to anything. They tried cold calling me to get me on the air when I was driving home from the gym. While this is all going down Monday, like, bruh, no… you have the high ground like Obi Wan and Anakin from Star Wars, like I don’t know what I’m getting myself into. I don’t even know who these guys are. If I’m going to come on your show, I’m going to do it in person. I’m going to be prepared. I’m always ready. And I’m not threatening this man. I’m not saying we’re going to get physical, of course not. But I’ll look at him eye to eye, I’ll just call him a f***ing pussy. And he won’t do anything, in person. On the phone, on the radio, on the internet, he’ll be a tough guy. But once I said I’ll show up. Nope, no response. So that’s all I have to say about that. I don’t even know the guy and he’s a criminal and he’s a thief. I know he stole money and gambled it away. I know he has a very successful show. So congratulations on that. But I do know he has a very small penis and he has no balls.
I don’t know the details but he stole all this money and gambled it away and went to jail. Crazy stuff. He’s like the Nailz of New York sports radio.
What do you have coming up? Because you are the Indie God, you’re everywhere. So what’s coming up? Where can we see you at?
I post my schedule online. I’ve been very fortunate but have a very, very busy schedule. It’s been a lot of fun. I love doing what I do. It’s been the most fun time of my career. The most rewarding, most successful. I love it. I love just being on the road. I love wrestling. I love wrestling new opponents. I love wrestling people I’ve wrestled before, it just it’s a blast.
What what can you tell us about Steph DeLander?
She is from Australia and she was in NXT for a minute as Persia Pirotta. But she was released last year from WWE and I was just doing the Indies, and I was doing my thing and when Chelsea Green left and went back to WWE, Brian Myers signed full time with Impact, he wasn’t gonna do as many Indies, and it kind of ruins my stick. I have the Cardona family. I got Chelsea Green, Brian, so I need people with me. That’s just the act, right? And I knew I needed somebody, and I knew I needed a woman. I didn’t know who it was gonna be, but I wasn’t gonna hold like a Diva Search. I was in Australia for World Series Wrestling a few months ago. I won their title as well.
Steph DeLander was on the show. I’ve heard of her. I’ve seen her before, but I’ve never seen her in person.
So I was around her for a couple days and I said, ‘this tall son of a b*tch, looks like she can kick my ass.’ She has the blonde bangs, all jacked up, piercings all over her face. I’m like, this would be perfect. You know? So I hit up my wife, Chelsea, ‘would you mind if I asked this girl to travel to the world with me?’ And she was cool with it, luckily. And then I asked Steph, she was down and then we hit the ground running because I don’t do things half assed, as Michael Hayes once said, ‘you can’t be half pregnant. It’s all in baby.’ So we started the act in Australia, and the next weekend, I had a bunch of shows and the promoter is like, ‘I’m not booking this girl.’ I said, ‘Okay, fine. I’ll fly her in. I’ll pay her, I’ll put her up, you’re not f**king losing a dime.’ I’ll gamble on myself because I know it will pay off. Now look, everyone’s booking her. Everyone knows who she is. So listen, if I can help someone out along the way, great. But really, selfishly, I’m using her. She’s using me, it’s a 50/50 thing, we’re both using each other get to the top.
100%. And we have this chemistry, we’ve only known each other for about two months. It feels like we’ve been teaming up for two years. But, like I said, you can’t be half pregnant, you got to go all in with this. And we have been traveling, we’re going to England, we’re going to… well, I can’t even say where we’re going because it’s a little secret… but we’re gonna go to a lot of different places. But it’s been a lot of fun to get to know her. We both have that brain that doesn’t shut off when it comes to wrestling and, and pitching ideas and throwing things against the wall and betting on ourselves. So it’s been a perfect match.
You’re probably the biggest independent star right now. And that’s not even being biased because you’re here. I mean, it’s probably true.
I mean, I don’t know who else is. I’m not saying guys from AEW coming to the Indies. I am THE agent. You talked about free agents. I am the agent. I’m the number one indie wrestler out there. I’m not doing this to pass the torch. I’m not here to help some kids out. I’m here to light a torch for myself. This is my run. It’s about me if I can help some people along the way, give them a rub, give them some advice. Sure. But it’s not like about them. It’s about me, creating buzz, making money and winning titles. And I’ve been doing all three.
Is there is there anything on the bucket list yet? Is there anything you haven’t accomplished that you want to?
Well, I mean, in general wrestling, never won the big one, never won the WWE Championship. So that’s, that’s definitely my number one. Indie wise, I’ve been to Mexico, Japan for WWE. I would love to go there on my own. So there are some things in the works but nothing concrete yet, so I would love to do that. Listen, I will go anywhere that f***ing pays me. What I’m saying, I’m a mark for money. If you book me, [email protected], if I have that date for you, which I probably don’t but if I do. You pay my f***ing full rate, and you give me that 50% deposit to advertise me I’ll f***ing be there. And have the best f***ing match on the show. And that’s it. If you’re paying me, I will be there.
This is the wrestling business, right? We’re here to make money of course like, you want to have fun, you want to enjoy yourself, you want to have great matches, I get that, but at the end of the day, you have to pay your bills. You have to support your family, feed your cats, you know? I’m gonna do this by making money.
Speaking of cats, I saw that Kylo just came home
What a return, holy s***! Seven days, the most stressful seven days… well really stressful five days because the first two days I didn’t realize he was f***ing gone. Because we were out of town. I didn’t realize he left. My cats are indoor cats. So I don’t check every time I walk out the door, you know what I’m saying? I just assumed they’re there. Especially Kylo, he’s been here for five… six years. I’m not checking everytime. It wasn’t until we got back after a two day trip that ‘oh shit he’s not f***ing here.’ Long story short, we got him. But holy f*** like the other night, I felt like Kevin McCallister in Home Alone and set up all these traps around the house right, whether it be like tuna fish, sardines, I ordered sushi, sashimi, putting them all over the place. Catnip all over my house. Then, I found him. He got into the trap. I lured him into the trap. Like I literally bought a cat trap and the trap didn’t go off. You gotta be f***ing kidding me. So I grabbed the trap. He jumps out of it. He ran off, an hour or so later, where I’m just waiting… then he just strolls in the house on his own… MOTHA F****. Five minutes later, a raccoon goes into the trap. It goes off. Now I got a raccoon in this trap, who’s growling at me, hissing at me… I’ve seen plenty of racoons up in New York and down in here Florida, but I don’t want to f*** with a raccoon. No way. No, but I let him out.
Tell me about Jacob Fatou? It’s weird that no one [WWE / AEW] has signed him or Alexander Hammerstone?
He’s a big son of a b*tch… I mean, I don’t know their contract with MLW, but they might be stuck there. But definitely, those are two names that I agree with you. Will definitely be in either WWE or AEW, because they are top talents, world-class athletes, 100%.
Allegedly, a run sheet for the new AEW Collision Show showed up… and you’re on it.
I mean, come on. That was so fake. Listen, I’m flattered, I think I would be great on that show. I think AEW, what they’ve been doing is fantastic. I mean, adding another show, prime time, incredible. It shows their growth, they’re on their way to maybe sell out Wembley Stadium, which is incredible. AEW is doing some great things, but no, that is not a true lineup. Unless Tony Khan calls me tomorrow. I mean, I’m a free agent for a reason, baby. I’m always ready.
I mean, listen, I have not had a contract there. So that’s all I can say. And if the show starts this Saturday, I certainly won’t be there.
Mr. Cardona thank you for your time. I can’t wait to see where you pop up next, and what belt you’re gonna win because you have all of them.
Oh, no problem… You know how much a bag weighs when you get eight titles in there. It’s a lot and your bags over 50 pounds. You have to pay more money for an overweight bag, and then, do I just leave some of the titles at home?, it’s not fair, if I’m the “insert promotion here” champion. They want me to carry that title with pride. I don’t want to leave it in my closet. I gotta lug all these titles around. Yeah, bring extra bags. It’s hard being the Indie God, it’s hard being the Deathmatch King but someone’s got to do it and I’ll do it.
This is not a lie…. this is the second bag that… I’ve had to replace because it weighs so much that it dragging on the floor and ripping. This is not a lie. It’s unbelievable. I have too many championships that my bad weighs too much, it drags the floor and it starts to rip…. good problem to have. Absolutely.
