Pro-wrestling star Matt Cardona (fka Zack Ryder) recently spoke with Inside The Ropes to discuss a number of different topics, including the atmosphere differences between AEW and WWE, and the creative freedoms AEW has allowed.
Says AEW had a totally different vibe than WWE:
I was in AEW for a cup of coffee, but I could tell right away, different atmosphere. Totally different vibe, everyone was super cool, super relaxed. Tony Khan – super approachable. Not that Vince isn’t, but Vince, you know, sometimes you’re waiting outside Vince’s office all day and sometimes you might not get to talk to him. As opposed to Tony who you can go like ‘Hey Tony!’ or you text him.
On the importance of creating a relationship with the boss:
But I think it’s all relative, right? You need to have relationships and that’s on you to make that relationship, whether it be with Tony Khan or Scott D’Amore or Vince McMahon. You need to make that relationship. They’re not going to go out of their way to make a relationship with you, you need to do that. You need to be in their ear and get to the point where you could text them or call them and stuff like that. But is the atmosphere different? Yeah, 100 percent.
On the creative freedom in AEW:
WWE, it’s this huge thing and I think almost too micromanaged where AEW is just like letting things happen. You don’t even know, like, who’s running the show which is a good thing. There’s creative freedom in your matches as opposed to sometimes in WWE where it’s like ‘Oh, you can’t go to the floor tonight.