Matt Cardona Reflects On Shock Dream Match

Matt Cardona will forever be grateful to Tony Khan.

On the March 30th episode of AEW Collision, Matt Cardona answered Adam Copeland’s open challenge for the TNT Title. Although Cardona’s night ended in defeat, the match had special significance due to the long-standing relationship between the two men.

The pair first worked together back in 2007, and Copeland took Cardona and his tag team partner Brian Myers under his wing, something the Deathmatch King has never forgotten.

Writing on social media, Cardona broke down what the match on Collision meant to him.

@RatedRCope vs. Matt Cardona…my dream match…finally happened last night at #AEWCollision.

When I was in high school, Edge was one of my favorite wrestlers. I’d have matches with him (an invisible version) in my bedroom or trampoline.

Him reinventing himself into the Rated R Superstar made me an even bigger fan of his.

A couple of years later,@Myers_Wrestling and I made it to WWE but were drowning as The Major Brothers. We were about be fired. We had an idea to be Adam’s entourage…his Edgeheads. He didn’t need us but we certainly needed him. He took a chance on us, saved our careers, and changed our lives.

We went from sitting in catering about to be fired to wrestling guys like Undertaker, Batista, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, etc. We learned so much from working so close to Adam. Our first time at WrestleMania was being involved in the main event! I thought the next year at WrestleMania it’d be Edge vs. Hawkins vs. Ryder. That didn’t happen. LOL.

16 years (holy shit!) flew by so fast. Adam had to retire due to a neck injury in 2011. My dream match would never happen. Adam returns to WWE in 2020. I get fired from WWE in 2020. My dream match would never happen.

I’ve been busting my ass these past 4 years to reinvent myself. Adam is the Rated R Superstar and I’m the Self Made Superstar. I’ve been everywhere. I’ve wrestled everyone. When Adam joined @AEW in 2023, I knew my dream match was back on the table.

Last night in Canada, Adam had the Cope Open…an open challenge for his TNT Championship. I accepted. The fans didn’t forget the history. There was a HOLY SHIT chant on my god damn entrance. I may have lost but I learned even more from Adam from that match. It was a night that I’ll never forget. I finally wrestled my dream match.

Thank you Adam. Thank you @TonyKhan for the opportunity.

Matt Cardona Open To Match With WWE Legend

Since leaving WWE in 2020, Matt Cardona has established himself as the biggest name on the independent scene, with a particular flair for Death Matches.

Back in February, Mick Foley hinted that he could get back in the ring for one more match and named Cardona as a potential opponent. Unsurprisingly, Matt Cardona said he’d love to face the WWE Hall of Famer, but it remains to be seen whether the match will made.