Matt Cardona was a guest on NBC Sports’ ‘Ten Count’ podcast, where he discussed a variety of topics. The following are the highlights:
Trying to change his character before being let go by WWE:
“Even in WWE, I was slowly trying to change myself. Drop the woo, woo, woo, drop the headband and glasses [a] long, long time ago. But you know, I don’t write the show so if I’m trying to portray something that doesn’t necessarily come across, if I’m doing something but nobody sees it or you know, if I’m in this match that’s five minutes and I don’t get to talk, I don’t get to do anything, you don’t know what my personality is, you don’t know what I’m trying to get across. So with this new freedom, okay, I’m the boss now. I’m the big boss man, you know what I’m saying? I’m Vince Mc-Broski and I’m gonna be the self-chosen one. I’m gonna put myself on the top of the ladder, top of the mountain. That’s what I did and I totally — I don’t even want to say ‘reinvented myself’ because this is who I am but I think that people finally saw who I am and it was a slow burn, you know?”
NWA naming the Alwayz Ready PPV after his catchphrase:
“There’s not a lot of guys who have had a pay-per-view named after them. The Rock had ‘Rock Bottom’, Shawn Michaels was on the poster for D-Generation X, I guess that’s kind of about him. I can’t think of another one, so I’m in good company; Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Matt Cardona… Was that [Revenge of the ‘Taker] a memorable pay-per-view though? Come on, come on [Cardona laughed]. Okay, still, Undertaker, Matt Cardona, The Rock and Shawn Michaels. That’s a Mount Rushmore right there. It feels great, feels awesome. Listen, I am not a politicker. I didn’t knock on Billy Corgan’s door and say, ‘Hey, I got this great idea. Let’s name it Alwayz Ready.’ They realized I am the face of the company, I am making waves here. As soon as I came to NWA, I said I’m here for one thing and that’s to be the best, that’s to be the champion and it’s working, right? And it’s pissing a lot of people off and I understand that because listen, I talk — people think I’m disrespecting NWA when I say it’s old and dated and boring. I don’t disrespect NWA, I respect NWA; the history, the legacy, everything, I’m the champion. People thought I was gonna make a spinner belt, put a purple strap, no, I respect that title. Nick Aldis, by the way, did change the title. He added a U.K., England plate. I would never add a New York plate, I would never disrespect the title like that because I want NWA to succeed, I want it to grow, I wanna take it to the next level and I feel like I’m doing that so it’s definitely an honor to have ‘Alwayz Ready’ named after me.”
