Recent WWE signing Matt Cardona has been pulled from another event.
Cardona is no longer expected to appear at Superpower Slam on February 1 at the Melrose Ballroom in New York City, where he was scheduled to challenge JCW Champion Billie Starkz.
The event, a wrestling benefit raising money for the Little Oaks Center for Neurodevelopment, is being promoted by GCW in collaboration with Orange Crush.
Promoters announced Wednesday that Cardona had been pulled “due to unforeseen (but very exciting) circumstances.”
Cardona said in a recent appearance on NotSam Wrestling that he has withdrawn from all of his indy dates after re-joining WWE.
“I was booked until the summer,” Cardona said. “If I took every indie date that I agreed to, I wouldn’t be able to be WWE … It’s as simple as that … I’m literally booked every weekend until the summer.”
*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
The promotion is now teasing a mystery opponent for Starkz, saying that Cardona has put up a bounty for anyone to take down the current champ.
Cardona returned to WWE on last week’s episode of Smackdown, defeating Kit Wilson in singles action. It was announced during the match that he has officially returned to the company and is a member of the Smackdown roster.
Cardona was scheduled to make an appearance in New York-based promotion ACW a day after his WWE signing against Mike Santana, but similarly withdrew from that show as well.
The upcoming charity event is still scheduled to feature appearances from AEW’s Willow Nightingale, JetSpeed, and Megan Bayne, as well as matches with TNA’s Bear Bronson and Mance Warner, as well as MLW’s Paul Walter Hauser.
Update 1:55 p.m. ET: Article updated to add a quote from Cardona.
