Matt Cardona says he took a pay cut to return to WWE in January 2026. Cardona made the comments in an interview with Jeremy Jacobowitz on the podcast "Let Me Tell You Why," according to Ringside News.
Cardona said his earnings on the independent scene topped anything he made during his first run with the company, Ringside News wrote, and he described the gap in direct terms. "I made more money outside WWE than I ever made in WWE," he said. He then described the move back: "I technically took a pay cut to go back to WWE."
Cardona explained why he accepted the lower pay. "But WWE, going back, is the ultimate opportunity," he said. He added that if it works out, it would be the "ultimate raise."
The comments come after Cardona's 2020 release from WWE, after which he chose to reinvent himself rather than coast on his past work. Ringside News quoted him on that decision: "I wanted to create something new, and I'm going to reinvent myself, and I'm going to change the Matt Cardona game."
Cardona did not give dollar figures in the interview, so the size of the pay cut is not known. He also did not say how his current WWE deal compares with the one he held before his release, beyond saying he earned more outside the company.
As of October 4, Cardona is back with WWE after returning in January 2026, and his own account is that the move cost him money in the short term.
