Matt Cardona Breaks Down Why He's Rooting for Cody Rhodes at Night of Champions 2026

Matt Cardona Opens Up on Why He Wants Cody Rhodes to Retain at Night of Champions 2026

Matt Cardona, one of professional wrestling's most prominent independent stars, has made clear where his loyalties lie ahead of WWE's Night of Champions 2026 — and they are firmly with Cody Rhodes.

Cardona, who spent years in WWE before departing and carving out a celebrated career on the indie circuit, expressed his hope that Rhodes would walk out of Night of Champions [VERIFY: event date and location] still holding the [VERIFY: specific championship title] he currently carries. The comments, made during [VERIFY: interview, podcast, or social media post], quickly gained traction among wrestling fans who follow both the mainstream WWE product and the broader independent scene.

"I'm hoping Cody retains," Cardona said, according to [VERIFY: source and full quote context], citing [VERIFY: specific reasons Cardona gave — friendship, creative direction, etc.].

The two men share a long history. Both came up through WWE's ranks at roughly the same time, and Rhodes' own well-documented departure from and return to WWE mirrors, in some ways, the career reinvention Cardona himself undertook after leaving the company [VERIFY: Cardona's departure year]. That shared experience has kept the two publicly supportive of one another over the years.

Rhodes is scheduled to defend his title against [VERIFY: opponent's name] at Night of Champions 2026, a matchup that has generated significant anticipation. Since reclaiming his spot at the top of WWE's card following his return [VERIFY: year of return], Rhodes has become one of the company's most reliable box-office performers, and his championship reign has been a focal point of WWE's programming.

For Cardona, the stakes are more than just professional admiration. He has spoken in the past about the importance of long, credible title reigns in establishing a wrestler's legacy — and appears to view a Rhodes retention as consistent with that philosophy [VERIFY: whether Cardona has explicitly stated this reasoning].

Cardona's voice carries particular weight in this conversation because he occupies a unique space in the wrestling world — respected inside WWE circles while also being deeply embedded in the independent scene that often serves as a barometer for grassroots fan opinion. His public endorsement reflects a broader sentiment among many fans who have followed Rhodes' journey from WWE developmental product to AEW co-founder to returning WWE headliner.

Night of Champions 2026 is expected to be one of WWE's marquee events of the year [VERIFY: full card details and confirmed matches]. Whether Rhodes emerges with the title intact remains to be seen, but he will have at least one well-known former colleague watching closely and pulling for him.