Matt Cardona Pulled From GCW x Orange Crush Superpower Slam Benefit Event, Cardona Responds to Criticisms Over His Cancelled Indie Bookings After WWE Return

As noted before, this past Friday’s WWE SmackDown show in Buffalo, New York featured TNA and indies talent Matt Cardona making his official return to WWE. Following his return, Cardona was pulled from this past Saturday’s Poughkeepsie Rumble 2026 event for Awesome Championship Wrestling and vacated his ACW World Championship due to his recent return to WWE.

Orange Crush announced earlier today that they have pulled Cardona from their upcoming co-promoted Superpower Slam benefit event on February 1st in New York City, New York due to unforeseen but “very exciting” circumstances.

Cardona had been scheduled to face off against Billie Starkz for the JCW World Championship at the event.

“*SUPERPOWER SLAM UPDATE*

Matt Cardona has informed us that due to unforeseen (but very exciting) circumstances he won’t be able to appear on the benefit show.

That said, Cardona has promised to “pad the lope” for whoever replaces him at Melrose with the bounty provided to him to take out JCW World Champion Billie Starkz.

He said he also “might even donate a little to charity” if they are successful.

Who replaces Cardona at Melrose?

Melrose Ballroom in NYC
Sunday, February 1, 2026
7 PM

Get Tix:
http://SuperpowerSlam.eventbrite.com

Bear vs. Atticus
Janelasus vs Jetspeed
Willow vs. Mara Sadè
Paul Walter Hauser vs. Mad Dog
Gresham vs Moriarty

Presented by Orange Crush with GCW, JCW and Little Oaks

*SUPERPOWER SLAM UPDATE*

Matt Cardona has informed us that due to unforeseen (but very exciting) circumstances he won't be able to appear on the benefit show.

That said, Cardona has promised to "pad the lope" for whoever replaces him at Melrose with the bounty provided to him… pic.twitter.com/GlXZPV7B0v

— ORANGE CRUSH (@orangecrushart) January 7, 2026

Following his cancelled booking, Cardona responded in a recent interview with the Notsam Wrestling podcast about the negative criticisms he has been receiving regarding his cancelled indies bookings since returning to WWE.

“There’s been a couple of haters online, I totally understand that. I was booked until the summer. If I took every indie date that I agreed to, I wouldn’t be able to be in WWE. It’s as simple as that. It’s not like I had one or two. Like, I’m literally booked every weekend until the summer.

Any promoter who gave me a deposit — they’ve already been taken care of. Everybody understood.”

Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com