Matt Cardona Previews ‘The WRLD On GCW’: ‘This Is My WrestleMania’

By Colin Tessier

Matt Cardona is ready for “Game Changer Mania,” which is the name he’s chosen for the buzzworthy “The WRLD on GCW” event.

On January 23, GCW will hold what many are calling its biggest show yet at the sold-out Hammerstein Ballroom, and Cardona, a former GCW World Champion will have a high-profile match on the card. In recent weeks, he’s been engaged in a bitter feud with Joey Janela, and “The Deathmatch King” will settle the score with “The Bad Boy” on Sunday night.

In an interview with WrestleZone, which was recorded before his rivalry with Janela began, Cardona expressed his excitement about the show. He argued that he deserves at least some of the credit for the fact that GCW is running the Hammerstein Ballroom in the first place, given the buzz he continues to generate for the company. In fact, the reigning Internet Champion stated that GCW owner Brett Lauderdale should “pad the lope” a little extra because he owes ‘The Deathmatch King” for this special occasion.

“This show is super special to me, for so many reasons,” said Cardona. “When I came to GCW, I honestly believe that there’s no way they could have sold out Hammerstein without me and the buzz that I created. So I think they should all thank me. I think Brett Lauderdale should personally call me up right after this interview drops, and thank me. Maybe pad the lope a little extra.”

Cardona then took a step back to discuss the personal importance of this event by describing how his previous trip to the Hammerstein was for the first ECW One Night Stand event, when his trainer, Mikey Whipwreck, brought him to the show. As a passionate fan of ECW, that experience meant a lot to Cardona; likewise, getting the chance to compete at the iconic venue will be extra special to him.

“The Deathmatch King” then hyped up what he promises will be a remarkable entrance; in an effort to make “The WRLD on GCW” feel even more exceptional, he hinted at his plan to go all out for his own WrestleMania entrance. Cardona shared the news that his parents will be in attendance, but he wants to keep them far away from “disgusting” GCW fans; after all, these might be the same people who infamously threw pizza cutters at him when he won the GCW World Championship.

“It’s super great, I have awesome gear lined up, I’m working on a cool entrance ‘cause GCW, you know, they don’t treat things as big as they should be,” said Cardona. “This is my WrestleMania, baby. So I’m gonna have my ‘Mania entrance at the Hammerstein Ballroom. And I’m gonna get my parents there. I made sure they have like balcony seats, I don’t want them on the floor with all those disgusting GCW fans. Because who knows, light tubes, pizza cutters, I don’t know, I don’t want my mom around that. So have her up in the better seats, better view, and hopefully no one tries to attack my parents.”

The comparisons between GCW and ECW continue to ring true; Cardona literally “won” the ECW World Television Championship when he defeated Rhino at GCW Most Notorious before he threw the title away the next night. especially with the latter promotion’s looming Hammerstein show. When asked about the similarity between the two companies, Cardona agreed with the usage of the term “spiritual successor” and called GCW the 2022 version of ECW. The Internet Champion then explained how this moment, with the Hammerstein show as a prime example, as “a very important time” for the company.

He explained how seeing GCW fail to sell out the Hammerstein would have backed up the doubters’ belief that its “just another s—– indie.” But the company quickly sold out “The WRLD on GCW,” so it’s clear that the company and its fans are in for an unforgettable night. Cardona went on to compare GCW to himself in the way the promotion has continued to defy the odds, prove people wrong and reach new heights all the while.

“When all those seats are filled, man it’s gonna be a special night, and I think it’s a history-making night, not just for GCW but for the wrestling business,” said Cardona. “You know, a year ago, not even, six months ago, if someone would have said GCW sold out the Hammerstein Ballroom, I probably would have said what’s GCW? Right? And if I knew, I probably would have laughed and said no f—— way. And not just me, a lot of wrestling people, fans, wrestlers, promoters. But GCW, they’re proving a lot of people wrong, just like me.”

WrestleZone will have full coverage of “The WRLD on GCW” on Sunday night; the pre-show starts at 7 p.m. EST, and the main card kicks off at 8 p.m.

RELATED: Matt Cardona Had His Biggest Year Yet In 2021, Reflects On Being His Own Boss, ‘The Self-Chosen One’

Colin Tessier
Colin Tessier

Colin Tessier is a lifelong fan of all things Marvel and DC, and he has used this passion to write about them for several years. Likewise, having been a fan of wrestling since he was a kid, he also covers professional wrestling. You can find him on Twitter at @ct_2110.

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