Ex-WWE Star: "Really, I'm Responsible For AEW!"

This former WWE trailblazer says he changed the wrestling business forever.

by Jamie Kennedy
Matt Cardona
IMPACT Wrestling

Matt Cardona claims he's "responsible for AEW".

There was a bit of tongue-in-cheek to the ex-WWE man's comments on the NotSam podcast, but he was keen to stress that his old YouTube show 'Z! True Long Island Story' changed the game for pro wrestlers when it landed.

Back then, Zack Ryder was lauded as a revolutionary for trying to get himself over via YouTube; Cardona had been struggling for house room on core WWE programming, so he bought himself a camera and started filming his own promos to try and get some attention.

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It worked.

Matt isn't so sure shows like 'Being The Elite' (starring The Young Bucks, Kenny Omega and countless others) would've launched had he not set the table with 'True Long Island Story' first. There's no doubting the fact that Cardona inspired others with his initiative when wrestlers using services like YouTube/social media was hardly the norm.

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Of course, it's a stretch to say that Cardona is "responsible for AEW", but 'Being The Elite' did grab attention for The Bucks/Omega etc and put them in the public eye before Tony Khan's operation was formed.

Contributor

Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.