March 8, 2024. The day that WWE surpassed 100 Million Subscribers on YouTube. It only took some bad writing at times, corporate monopoly and racism. Congrats, I guess.
That same day, Xavier Woods aka Austin Creed aka Rasheed Lucius Creed (Check out my piece on the guy), posted this on the site formerly known as Twitter.
And you know what? He’s justified to feel that way. Why? Well, Matt Cardona aka Zack Ryder aka former women’s tag team title belt holder aka menace of the Indies aka the man behind the hit 2013 single Hoeski (at least he’s got more music hits than whoever came up with the song “Wasting My Time”. The name is fitting given it’s as plain and default as it gets for a song), employed social media strategically in furthering his career thus reaching the fans, more so when his television time was cut short.
But before I talk about how the Long Island Iced Z revolutionised storytelling in pro wrestling through social media, I’ll briefly summarise his wrestling career up until that point. Matt Cardona started wrestling in the ring in 2004 but signed with WWE in 2006.
He began performing in the WWE in 2007 in the Major Brothers tag team with Curt Hawkins. They aligned themselves with Edge later that year and unlike Edge who’s Rated R superstar, they were rated G for generic white guys at that moment of their careers. In 2009 he got repackaged as Zack Ryder in ECWW which portrayed him as a character clearly inspired by Pauly D from the Jersey Shore, with new characteristics like spiky hair, wearing headbands and the catchphrase “woo woo woo, you know it”.
Around late 2010, Ryder wasn’t utilised on television like that so he did what he thought was the best route possible for his career, make YouTube videos and thus “Z! True Long Island Story” was born. Zack did that to communicate with the fans in a way that wasn’t the norm on WWE television at that time. Twitter, Facebook (back when it wasn’t the unc platform), and YouTube presence give him a large following which led to the constant “We Want Ryder” at the WWE shows. This fan support led to more television time, and Cardona won the WWE United States Championship defeating Dolph Ziggler in December 2011 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs (they used YouTube to build the storyline around, by the way). That showed a clear statement that a wrestler, who was struggling to be noticed, could achieve.
2012 was the supposed “end of the world” and unfortunately, so was Zack Ryder’s push because that dude hasn’t been the same since getting stuck in lower mid-card purgatory. Ever since he was released by WWE in 2020, the man formerly known as Zack Ryder became an Indy GOD by winning more championships than Tottenham ever did (a sentence I never thought I would say 5 years ago but that should tell you how awful Spurs are as a team).
Now, you’re probably reading the title and asking yourself, “Why should I thank Matt Cardona?” Well, it’s a simple reason, his use of social media. WWE’s further push to their digital expansion as a result of Cardona’s YouTube show “Z! True Long Island Story,” has showcased the potential of digital platforms for the medium to tell a simple story which is professional wrestling’s greatest asset.
WWE responded by investing heavily in its digital content, expanding its YouTube presence and creating original content for audiences. All of that has led to the enhancement of their brands and the fostering of a more engaged fanbase than ever before. If you want a recent example, Just look at The Rock’s various video promos going into his feud with Cody Rhodes and Seth “hoping he’s not bald” Rollins.
That strategy even went beyond Titan Towers. Remember Kenny Omega vs “current Fuck That Wanker champion” Chris Jericho in NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom? That entire feud was set up on Twitter through a series of back-and-forth tweets.
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On and all, Matt Cardona’s successful use of social media, particularly YouTube, significantly influenced WWE and the entire wrestling business’ digital engagement strategy. His “Z! True Long Island Story” showcased the power of social media in building a personal brand and engaging with fans through what was at the time, a unique avenue to do it. Cardona’s story demonstrates how digital platforms can empower wrestlers to influence their careers.
All I’m saying is that you should. Better. Thank. Matt. Cardona.