Matt Cardona has vacated the ACW World Championship following his return to WWE on Friday Night SmackDown.
The announcement aired via a pre-taped video at an ACW event on Saturday, with Cardona stating that he could no longer defend the title due to his signing.
Cardona had been scheduled to face Mike Santana at the promotion’s ‘Poughkeepsie Rumble’ event.
In the video, Cardona said:
I’m sure you guys saw last night, I made my return to SmackDown. I am back in WWE. That means I can no longer compete tonight. That means I can no longer be the ACW champion. I am very proud to have been the ACW Champion.
I love ACW, one of the greatest independent promotions out there with such a great roster. And I know that somebody is going to step up to give you great fans a new ACW Champion. See you guys down the road.
Nic Nemeth faced Santana in Cardona’s place, with Santana winning. The victory makes him number-one contender for the ACW Title, which was awarded to the winner of Saturday’s rumble match, Richard Holliday.
Cardona made a surprise return on the January 3 episode of SmackDown, where he defeated Kit Wilson. It was noted on the broadcast that he had officially re-signed with the company as a member of the SmackDown roster under his real name.
Following his 2020 release, Cardona became a prolific figure on the independent circuit. He still holds the JCW Lunacy World Championship, WSW World Heavyweight Championship, and QPW Middle East Championship.
