Former US Champion Clarifies AEW Contract Status

On Chris Van Vliet’s “Insight” podcast, Matt Cardona clarified he wasn’t offered an AEW deal and recalled his ROH match against Chris Jericho.

Former US Champion Clarifies AEW Contract Status

Matt Cardona recently clarified his contractual status with AEW, stating on Chris Van Vliet’s “Insight” podcast that he was never formally offered a deal by the promotion. This comes despite some wrestling media reports suggesting otherwise.

Cardona directly addressed this specific point, saying, “Again, I don’t know. Dave Meltzer reported that I got offered a contract, but I did not, so I don’t know what happened.”

Advertising

Although not under contract, Cardona has made several appearances for promotions associated with Tony Khan since departing WWE in 2020, even competing for championships. He recounted a significant Ring of Honor match against Chris Jericho, an individual he has admired since his youth.

“So then I go away for a couple of months, and then I got a call, ‘Hey, you interested in working Chris Jericho at the Hammerstein Ballroom?’ Yeah, let me think about it. Duh! Again, one of my childhood idols, he was on my birthday cake, but I was ninth grade. I love Chris. As a performer, I look up to Chris. So to wrestle Chris, we had a whole program, and for Ring of Honor, had to do it. Another dream match,” Cardona shared during the podcast. This notable bout followed a previous high-profile encounter Cardona had with Adam Copeland.

Advertising

READ MORE: AEW’s Recent Show Format Changes Explained

Article Author Patricki Chites
I’m a professional wrestling journalist with over 15 years of experience in the industry. My passion began when I created my first WWE-focused project as a teenager, and I’ve been refining my craft ever since. Throughout my career, I’ve earned multiple awards as a recognized expert writer in the field.