Matt Cardona Talks AEW Not Offering Him A Full-Time Contract

GCW World Champion Matt Cardona was on today's episode of the Talk Is Jericho podcast. Cardona and Chris Jericho spoke on their respective matches against Nick Gage, and Jericho made a comment about how much bigger Cardona looked compared to most of the GCW roster. Cardona explained why that it looked that way.

"When I did my cup of coffee in AEW, it was like, 'Oh my god, Matt Cardona, he got so big.' I'm like, no, I've been in shape for years," Cardona pointed out. "It's just I'm presented like a star. I have an entrance. I get to come out. When you're presented like a star, you look like a star, and now, since I'm my own boss, I'm gonna present myself like a star wherever I go."

Cardona's time in AEW was short having only made a handful of appearances. Cardona reflected on his time in AEW and comments on his possible future.

"I loved it. It was super cool," Cardona expressed. "Do I wish it was with people? Sure, but it is what it is. But everyone was super welcoming. It's something I definitely needed. Sometimes perception is reality. So when people are like, 'Oh my god, he got so big! He got in great shape.' If you want to believe that, sure, but I was in the same shape that I was in for years.

"At AEW, it just didn't work out at the time. There's so many people there, and there just wasn't anything for me at the time and no hard feelings. Not to say I'll never be there again because I would love to be. There's no doubt AEW is the place to be. It's the talk of the wrestling business every single week. It's great, but timing's everything, and it wasn't the right time."

Wrestling Inc. exclusively reported at the time that Cardona was on a five-appearance deal with AEW. Cardona spoke on how long his deal was, and he revealed what his mindset was during that time.

"I want to say it was a three-show appearance. I ended up doing four," Cardona said. "Honestly, I was under the impression that a contract would be coming. It didn't come, and it is what it is. You have to move on. You can't sit around and wait. You can't cry about it. You just bust your ass and move on to the next one."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Talk Is Jericho with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.