Matt Cardona is trying to create memories, one fan at a time.
WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard recently spoke with Matt Cardona about his torn pectoral injury. Cardona’s partner on the indies, Steph De Lander, told Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful that Cardona still went on to sell his merchandise for an hour after the injury happened.
Pritchard asked Cardona about that decision, and if he consulted anyone about the severity of his injury before deciding to stick around. Cardona said he knew it was a torn pec as soon as it happened, and they would tell him the same at the hospital. He saw a sizeable group of fans waiting to see him, and thought sticking around was just the right thing to do.
“Yeah, so this was at a Reality of Wrestling, which by the way, has a great set up, great facility. I was blown away,” Cardona explained. “Almost like a mini Performance Center. But, I was the main event. And like I said, I clotheslined the guy over the top rope. I’m not a doctor, I’ve never torn my pec before. But I’m like, ‘Holy s***! I just tore my pec.’ I felt it right away. We finished the match right away. And I went to the back and like, what am I going to do? Go to an emergency room for them to tell me it is torn. For me to fly back to Orlando. Like, what are we doing here?”
Let’s make some memories
Cardona says a “good portion” of the fans in attendance came to meet him, and he didn’t want to leave them hanging. He wasn’t contractually obligated to stay, but he also knew there was no rush to leave because surgery was likely still days away.
“I didn’t owe them anything, in the sense that I didn’t take money from people. But I owed it to them as supporters, as fans. So this isn’t like, Barry Horowitz, pat myself on the back moment. But it’s the right thing to do. And I feel like anyone should have done that in that situation. Listen, if I needed like emergency surgery, different story. Let’s not… My arm wasn’t hanging off. This was something that was going to be done in a couple days,” Cardona said. “So it was like, there’s no reason for me to go to a hospital right now. Let’s meet the fans, let’s make some money, but let’s create some memories for these people and a connection.”
Cardona says he always tells other indie wrestlers seeking advice that making a connection with the audience is key. He was in pain, but if he made someone’s day, it was worth it.
“Some of these people, I’m sure they saw I was injured. I was screaming afterward backstage. I’m sure they heard it,” Cardona noted. “I was just screaming to myself, ‘F*ck!’ Cuz I knew. This wasn’t anyone’s fault. Sh*t happens in wrestling right? It ain’t ballet. It was pretty obvious I was in pain. I could barely sign, because I was using my right arm, which was what… I tore my right pec. So I think, even if I made one life-long fan out of that, it’s worth it.”
“He’s ruined it for everyone with torn pecs”
Pritchard said it sounded like a Cody Rhodes Hell In A Cell situation, where Cardona knew he wouldn’t do any more damage, so it was OK to stay at the show. Cardona then joked that Cody “ruined” torn pecs because of his now-infamous appearance at the 2022 Hell In A Cell event.
“And that’s another thing too right? Poor Cody with that injury and everything he overcame. But he’s ruined it for everyone with torn pecs after. Because I’m not sure if pec [tears] look as bad as Cody’s or worse. You can’t be posting that on social media. So, yeah, of course, I had my bad bruising down my arm, on my pec,” Cardona said. “But I’m like, ‘I can’t even post this because it is nothing compared to Cody’s.’ So it’s like, ‘Let’s not even post a photo until I’m getting surgery until I got the gown on and everything.’ Because what’s the point?”
Cardona said his arm looks “pretty gross right now” and knows it will get better. However, he also knows what it looks like now, alluding to his “caption this” post on social media. He knew it would blow up on social media, and the interactions from the post are just one more way Cardona is keeping a connection with his fanbase until he returns to the ring.
Watch our full interview with Matt Cardona below:
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