Former WWE Star Reveals Advice He Got From Chris Jericho

Eight-time world champion Chris Jericho has been in the professional wrestling business for over 30 years — with many talents discussing his influence on them or the profession in general. One former WWE star who Jericho gave advice to is Matt Cardona, known as Zack Ryder during that time. While on "Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast," Cardona revealed how long he has looked up to Jericho and what advice "The Ocho" gave him following his explosion in popularity.

"Chris Jericho is someone I looked up to as a kid," Cardona said. "He has helped my career in so many ways that he might not even realize. Back in the day, I was wearing the one-legged tights in WWE and he pulled me aside and said, 'Alright, you got noticed this way. It's time to switch to trunks and be taken more seriously.' Just stuff like that. He's always been very supportive and to, you know, all these years later, in ninth grade I had a birthday cake with Chris Jericho on it and now I'm Chris Jericho Oceanic Champion."

Cardona was at one time one of the most popular acts in WWE, with much of that coming from his YouTube Channel. Cardona was able to hold championship gold in WWE multiple times, as he won the United States and Intercontinental Championships, along with two reigns with the Tag Team Championship. Cardona was released by WWE in 2020, however, his level of success has not dwindled, as he has since won the GCW and NWA World Heavyweight Championships. As he stated in the interview, Cardona also recently became the first-ever Chris Jericho Cruise Oceanic Champion.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Pro Wrestling Boom Podcast," with an H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.