Cardona Names Shotzi, Holliday, Bishop as Indies' Ones to Watch
Matt Cardona, the WWE performer who rebuilt his career on the independent circuit under the self-styled "Indy God" persona, has identified three wrestlers - Shotzi, Richard Holliday, and Ben Bishop - as the names most deserving of attention outside the sport's major promotions. Cardona made the remarks in an interview with Fox News Digital, offering both recommendations and a candid account of what separates those who gain traction from those who fade after leaving a major company.
Cardona's perspective carries direct relevance to the subject. WWE released him in April 2020, at which point he stepped away from the Zack Ryder name he had used throughout his time with the company and spent several years working independently across multiple promotions. That period shaped his view that self-promotion, sustained effort, and treating oneself as marketable are prerequisites for survival outside WWE or AEW. "If you don't treat yourself like a big deal, I don't think anyone else will," he said. He cited Shotzi specifically as a wrestler who followed a comparable path after her own WWE departure. "I think she copied the Matt Cardona formula and good on her," he said, adding that the two had competed against each other. Shotzi currently holds the Major League Wrestling women's world championship and has worked for multiple promotions internationally. biathlon bets online ontario
Cardona pointed to social media discipline as a defining factor for Holliday and Bishop. He drew a direct contrast between the support structure available to active WWE talent - promotion through the company, its shop, its broadcast and streaming partners - and the total self-reliance required on the independents. "When you're not in WWE, you can't take a day off of being on your phone," he said. Holliday and Bishop have each built substantial social media followings, which Cardona identified as central to their rising profiles.
On the question of broader advice to independent wrestlers, Cardona kept his answer unambiguous. "If you don't quit, you might make it. If you quit, you definitely won't," he said. Cardona returned to WWE and appeared at SmackDown on April 10, 2026, at SAP Center in San Jose, California, competing against Trick Williams - a result that underlines the viability of the path he describes.
