Cody Rhodes reveals that 37-year-old star "refused" to associate with him on-screen in WWE

Cody Rhodes is all set for the biggest match of his career in the main event of WrestleMania 39. But before that, he went on The Good Karma Wrestling podcast and spoke about a good friend who he said refused to be associated with him on-screen.

That friend happens to be none other than 37-year-old star Matt Cardona (fka Zack Ryder). The two are good friends in real life and were last seen together on-screen in AEW back in 2020. Cardona saved Rhodes from a beatdown and they teamed up together in a successful effort following that. Cardona, however, only wrestled until ALL OUT that year, and things never panned out between him and AEW.

The American Nightmare revealed a story about his real-life best friend on The Good Karma Wrestling podcast. Cody Rhodes said that Cardona once refused any on-screen association with him and The Nightmare Family:

"I have this story about Matt which I'm going to tell eventually about watching his first meeting with a certain member of management somewhere and how he tanked this meeting," Rhodes recalled. "Right in front of me. And the one big line he hit in the meeting that I'll never forget. This is one of my real-life friends. He said, 'I just want to make it clear; I'm never putting on a Nightmare Family jacket or associating myself with him on-screen.' I got you the meeting, [then you throw me] under the bus right away." (H/T WrestlingInc)

Cody Rhodes wants Matt Cardona back in WWE

With over two-and-a-half years since their tag team match in AEW, Cody Rhodes is now in a completely different place, and so is Matt Cardona. In the same interview, Rhodes said that he would like to see Zack Ryder return to WWE over AEW:

"I’m really proud of him. He’s out there, he’s doing the ‘Indie God’ thing with the Indiana Jones hats. Everything Matt’s doing, Matt has been the king of the indies now. This is going on year two. You only usually get one run in that role, you know? He’s going on year two. What Matt does next is gonna be huge. If he goes to AEW, that’d be cool, but if he comes back to WWE, that’s what I want. It would be off the charts. I think he’s a huge get, a huge free agent. He’s the best he’s ever been, but he’s really pissed me off. I have no good karma with Matt Cardona at the moment." (H/T- POST Wrestling

Do you agree with Cody Rhodes and want to see Matt Cardona back in WWE? Voice your thoughts and opinions in the comments section below.