Matt Cardona Comments On 'Iconic' Cody Rhodes WWE Match

Cody Rhodes has earned plenty of respect over the years from fans and pro wrestlers alike, but former WWE coworker Matt Cardona said recently there's one "iconic" match that set The American Nightmare's legacy in stone.

Appearing on Tuesday's episode of the "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" podcast, Cardona, f.k.a. Zack Ryder, opened up about his friend Rhodes' torn pectoral injury this year and how pushing through the injury to do his match with Seth Rollins at Hell in a Cell this past June was a feat for all time.

"He had to do that match," Cardona said, insinuating the opportunity was too good for Rhodes to pass up. "Was it the smartest for his health? Maybe not, but it was such an iconic moment. And it really showed that he had the balls and passion for pro wrestling. I think he gained a lot of people's respect if he didn't have it already."

Rhodes came into the June matchup with Rollins already injured and left fans aghast when he revealed massive amounts of blood pooling up inside his arm once he took his jacket off during his entrance. WWE announcer Corey Graves called the discoloration around Rhodes' torn pec "as gruesome of an injury as I've seen from an active competitor" during the match, which went on for nearly 25 minutes and ended with Rhodes pinning Rollins for the victory.

Cardona said Rhodes showed him photos of the injury as the bruising started forming. "It just got worse and worse and worse," he said. When Van Vliet asked how Rhodes pulled off the match, Cardona said: "That's a good question. I don't know if he's ever said it publicly so I'm not going to be the one to spill the beans."