Matt Cardona understands why you can’t have it both ways.
Cardona recently spoke with Innes McVey of Inside The Ropes and talked about the old school mentality of ‘build the card’ as a way to get to the main event, and why it’s counterproductive to also tell talent to try and steal the show at the same time. Cardona says he doesn’t disagree with either one, but you can’t ask talent to do both.
“I mean, you hear that mentality like ‘Build the card!’ and I think that’s the old school way. I’m not saying I disagree with it, but at the same time you can’t have that build the card attitude when you’re also telling guys ‘Hey, stand out, grab the brass ring, go out there, bust your a**!’ Well, which one is it?” Cardona asked. “As opposed to AEW where every match is killer and everyone’s trying to steal the show. And in WWE, sometimes you’re not allowed to.”
Cardona also revealed that he was once told he wasn’t allowed to do a baseball slide on one of WWE’s shows because Ronda Rousey had planned on performing the move on RAW later that night. He said he could sympathize if he was attempting a huge spot or something noteworthy, but a baseball slide is so normal in a match now that it seemed ridiculous to him.
“One time I was told… I was having a match before RAW so Main Event or Superstars or whatever it’s called. And my producer told me I couldn’t do a baseball slide to the floor because Ronda Rousey was doing it like two hours later on RAW. I can understand if you’re saying I can’t put Mike Kanellis through the announce table on Main Event. OK I get it,” Cardona noted, “but I can’t do a baseball slide?! We’re talking about a baseball slide here! Because Ronda Rousey is doing a baseball slide? You think anybody is thinking in the arena ‘Oh, Zack Ryder did that baseball slide two hours ago’? Like, come on!”
Read More: Matt Cardona Details The Origins Of ‘The Big O’ And How New Kids On The Block Brought Them Together
