Matt Cardona has looked back on a memorable, if disappointing, encounter with Test during WWE’s ECW December to Dismember pay-per-view in 2006.

For Cardona, the moment was not about an in-ring rivalry, a televised segment, or a major career turning point. Instead, it was a small backstage exchange that carried weight because of how much he had admired Test as a fan. Cardona was still in WWE developmental at the time and had traveled to the event with other talent from Deep South Wrestling, the company’s developmental system then based in McDonough, Georgia.

Test was working the event as part of his 2006 return to WWE and its relaunched ECW brand. Cardona said he was excited to finally meet a wrestler he had followed closely during Test’s earlier rise in the company, particularly in 1999. That excitement quickly gave way to a familiar kind of awkwardness for anyone who has entered a locker-room environment as a newcomer.

Speaking with Jeremy Jacobowitz, Cardona explained that Test had been among his favorites during his youth.

For more background on this topic, read Shiloh Hill Details Frightening Facial Fracture That Threatened His WWE SummerSlam Plans.

“Test was one of my favorites. I’ll never forget, like Summer ’99. He was red hot. He was my pick to win the Royal Rumble 2000 here in New York City. He did not win.”

That fandom made Cardona’s eventual meeting with Test feel significant. Cardona said the interaction happened before he reached WWE’s main roster, when he was still trying to establish himself in developmental. December to Dismember gave him an opportunity to be around performers he had previously watched only on television.

Cardona remembered the event’s setting and its place in WWE history before getting to the specific exchange.

“I get called up to the main roster. Actually, it’s before I get called up. I’m in developmental. We go to—’Cause our developmental system at the time, Deep South Wrestling, was in McDonough, Georgia. There was a famous pay-per-view, December to Dismember, which was one of the worst pay-per-views of all time. But they sent some of us there. Test was there. I was so excited to meet Test. He gave me the no-look handshake and broke my heart.”

Cardona’s description of the “no-look handshake” was a humorous but recognizable account of an uncomfortable social moment in wrestling. In his telling, a younger wrestler sees someone coming through a hallway, eagerly reaches out to greet them, and receives a handshake without eye contact or meaningful acknowledgment. It is a fleeting gesture, but one that can feel dismissive when it comes from someone a newcomer has admired for years.

“Everyone knows, if you’re a wrestler, you know the no-look handshake. Someone’s walking out the hallway. You’re so excited to talk to them, and they give you one of these.”

The anecdote was delivered as a recollection rather than a broader accusation about Test. Cardona’s story reflected the gap between being a fan and entering the professional environment where the people once viewed as larger-than-life stars are colleagues, often moving quickly through a busy backstage setting. In that world, first impressions can be formed in seconds, even if neither person considers the interaction important at the time.

Test’s place at December to Dismember

December to Dismember took place during Test’s second WWE run. He had previously been signed by the company from 1998 until 2004, becoming a notable figure of the late Attitude Era and early 2000s. After leaving WWE, Test returned in 2006 and became part of the ECW roster following the brand’s revival.

At the December to Dismember pay-per-view, Test competed in the Extreme Elimination Chamber match for the ECW World Title. The contest also included Bobby Lashley, Big Show, CM Punk, Rob Van Dam, and Hardcore Holly. The match was the show’s central attraction and placed Test among a field that mixed established WWE names with performers closely identified with ECW.

The event itself has long been remembered unfavorably by many wrestling fans because of its limited card and controversial creative decisions. Cardona acknowledged that reputation in his comments, calling it one of the worst pay-per-views of all time. Yet for a developmental wrestler getting a chance to attend a major WWE event, its backstage significance was very different from its legacy as a broadcast production.

Cardona’s memory also highlights how developmental talent were exposed to the realities of the larger WWE machine. Deep South Wrestling was the developmental territory connected to WWE during that period, and young wrestlers could be brought to larger events to observe, assist, and become familiar with the expectations of the main roster environment. Such trips could place aspiring talent in close proximity to stars they had grown up watching.

For Cardona, Test was clearly one of those stars. His reference to the 2000 Royal Rumble illustrates how specifically he remembered Test’s momentum during the preceding year. Test had been prominently featured in 1999 and had become a wrestler Cardona believed could win the Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden. While that prediction did not come true, the level of investment behind it explains why Cardona had been so eager to make a positive connection years later.

A story about fandom and the wrestling locker room

Stories like Cardona’s offer a reminder that the transition from fan to wrestler is not always seamless. Before performers become established names themselves, they frequently enter locker rooms occupied by people whose matches, characters, and career moments helped inspire them to pursue wrestling in the first place. The emotional adjustment can be substantial: an admired star is no longer merely an image on a screen but a colleague with a schedule, responsibilities, and their own state of mind.

Cardona did not portray the episode as something that derailed his ambitions. Instead, the phrase “broke my heart” gave the recollection a deliberately dramatic and self-aware edge. The humor comes from the contrast between his anticipation and the unceremonious nature of the greeting. In wrestling, where handshakes and introductions can carry traditional importance, a no-look response can stand out all the more.

The moment also demonstrates why seemingly minor interactions are often remembered for years. Test may have been navigating the demands of a pay-per-view day, preparing for a high-profile chamber match, or simply moving through a crowded hallway. Cardona, meanwhile, was a young developmental wrestler meeting a favorite for the first time. The same few seconds could naturally mean very different things to each person involved.

Cardona went on to reach WWE’s main roster and become widely known to fans as Zack Ryder before later returning to using his own name. His career has given him a broad perspective on the industry, including the difference between watching WWE from the outside and working within its demanding backstage culture. That perspective has made his recollections from the developmental period particularly revealing, especially when they involve figures he admired before joining the business.

Cardona remains sidelined

Cardona is currently out of action after suffering a torn triceps in August 2026. The injury has paused his in-ring schedule, but he has already discussed a potential target for his comeback. During the same interview, Cardona said he would like to return at next year’s Royal Rumble.

A Royal Rumble return would carry some added personal resonance given his longstanding memories of the match. As Cardona recalled, he had once picked Test to win the 2000 edition of the event in New York City. Years later, Cardona is aiming to make his own return through the same annual WWE spectacle, though no official return date has been announced.

Until then, Cardona’s story about Test remains an amusing snapshot of a young wrestler’s perspective at an infamous WWE event. December to Dismember may be remembered primarily for its reputation as a troubled pay-per-view, but for Cardona it also marks the day he finally met one of his favorites—only to learn that a quick backstage handshake does not always live up to a fan’s expectations.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.