"Goofy sh*t had to change" - Ex-WWE star knew popular character needed major change after leaving Vince McMahon's regime

Vince McMahon has been the mastermind behind several popular gimmicks in the company for over two decades and has made many superstars. Recently, former Intercontinental Champion Zack Ryder AKA Matt Cardona said he knew his popular character needed a change after leaving the company.

In 2012, Zack Ryder was one of the biggest names on the internet as he got himself over in the industry without appearing regularly on weekly television.

However, Ryder's happy-go-lucky character became stale, and Vince McMahon had no plans for him, leading to his eventual release. Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast, Cardona said he knew a change in his current character was necessary:

"So even before I got let go from WWE, I knew the woo woo woo goofy sh*t had to change. I stopped wearing the headband, the glasses, got in great shape, and grew the beard. It's like, you could pitch stuff all day, but you don't write the show. I don't have the pencil. I can try my best to express who I want to be, but unless you're portrayed that way on television, it's just not going to work."

The former United States Champion revealed how he got to reinvent himself after leaving the company.

"Not that I had handcuffs on, but when I was released by WWE, the handcuffs were off and I could just be me and try anything and throw it against the wall. I wish I could say this is all calculated, but it wasn't. I was just fu**ing trying anything and taking any booking I could.” [H/T - Wrestling News]

Check out the entire episode of The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy down below:

After leaving the company, Matt Cardona redefined his career on the independent circuit and dubbed himself the 'King of Deathmatch'

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What did Matt Cardona accomplish in WWE under Vince McMahon's regime?

In 2007, Matt Cardona made his way to the main roster after working in the developmental brand alongside Brian Myers. The duo quickly joined Edge as his Edgeheads. The trio created a new faction on SmackDown.

After working with the Rated R Superstar for nearly two years, Cardona went solo and began working on ECW. Later, Vince McMahon made him the United States Champion due to his growing popularity.

After spending a couple of years in the mid-card division, Mr. McMahon once again pushed Ryder to make him the Intercontinental Champion at WrestleMania. However, the reign lasted less than a day and was ended by The Miz.

In his final run under Vince McMahon's regime, Ryder reunited with Curt Hawkins to defeat The Revival at WrestleMania 35 to win the RAW Tag Team Championships. Later, he left the company and began working on an independent circuit.

Do you want to see Matt Cardona return to WWE? Sound off in the comment section below.