Matt Cardona, formally known as Zack Ryder, was released from WWE in 2020 after wrestling for 14 years with the company. Since being fired, Cardona has continued to build his resume on the indie wrestling scene, competing in promotions like GCW, TNA, and MLW, capturing over 20 championships.

However, before he became "The Deathmatch King," Cardona revealed on "The Ariel Helwani Show" that he had the opportunity to re-sign with WWE before being released, but chose not to. 

"I knew I was going to get fired because we got a little message from Vince McMahon like a general, like, video, the pandemic just started, April 15, 2020, best day of my life ... a year prior AEW was starting up, and WWE, I don't know if it was because of this, I think it was, they offered everyone brand new deals with a lot more money and I didn't sign it because I didn't know if I wanted to stay or go. Ultimately the decision was made for me a year later, when I got fired," said Cardona. 

Cardona explained that he didn't mourn over his release or feel sorry for himself because of what he was able to accomplish in WWE, reflecting on winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 32 and performing at Madison Square Garden as some of his proudest moments. 

Upon his release, he knew that his journey as Zack Ryder came to a close, but his career as Matt Cardona was just beginning, and his main goal was to reinvent himself before even thinking about joining AEW or returning to WWE.