Matt Cardona reveals pay cut for WWE return

Professional wrestler Matt Cardona has revealed that his return to WWE involved taking a pay cut compared to his earnings on the independent circuit.

Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, explained that after his release from WWE in 2020, he made a conscious decision to reinvent himself rather than coasting on his previous fame or fading into obscurity. He stated that his success on the independent scene allowed him to earn more money than he had previously made in WWE, making the decision to rejoin the company a financial sacrifice for the sake of long-term professional opportunity.