When news broke that Adam Copeland, now a two-time TNT Champion after defeating Christian Cage in Toronto, was going to bring back the CopeOpen with his new belt on the line, it left the door open for all sorts of different options for the future.

Would Copeland continue to work with some of the young stars in the AEW/Ring of Honor universe, showcasing young talents like Griff Garrison in front of a wider audience? Or would he branch out into outside stars like Cody Rhodes before him, wrestling then-indie stars like Eddie Kingston and Ricky Starks before they officially became All Elite?

Well, in the opening match of Collision, live from London, Ontario, in his home country of Canada, fans were given their first chance to find out, with Copeland welcoming his first surprise challenger, being met with none other than Matt Cardona, who spent a chunk of his WWE career as one of the Edgeheads under the learning tree of the “Rated-R Superstar.”

Intriguing? The crowd in Ontario certainly thought so, as they cheered on the match like the dream match it had long been for Cardona and fans of his former character, Zack Ryder.

Matt Cardona has been dreaming of wrestling Adam Copeland.

Before Matt Cardona and Adam Copeland locked up to start off their fun and frenetic opening match on Collision, the duo exchanged approving looks during a pregnant pause, as, for the duo who have known each other for the better part of 20 years, this match was a long time in the making.

Discussing the prospects of Edge retiring in the lead-up to his final match with Sheamus on SmackDown, Cardona told Sam Roberts that he'd always dreamed of working a match with the “Rated-R Superstar,” as after working so close together in the mid-2000s, getting to throw down in an official match would be a real full-circle moment for both men.

“Can you imagine the reaction if Edge is on TV, and he either wins a big match or he cuts an emotional promo or something like that, and just gets nailed with a Broski Boot?” Matt Cardona told NotSam Wrestling via 411 Mania. “That was always a dream match of mine, still is. And when he had to retire, I thought it would never happen. Now he’s back, then I get fired. But there’s still time. Edge vs. Matt Cardona, not Edge vs. Zack Ryder. Zack Ryder’s f***ing dead. I open the door for [Steph De Lander] just like Edge opened the door for me. Now I’m gonna shut it in his f***ing face and reboot [him] right to Hell. I would absolutely love that.”

Fortunately for Cardona, his match with Copeland likely lived up to his expectations, as the bout had plenty of back-and-forth actions, it was broadcasted in its entirety without any commercials, and even if it played into a larger angle between Malakai Black and Copeland, the duo were afforded a chance to work for a hot crowd that wanted nothing more than to see the two long-time friends work each other over in the ring. Even if the match will go down as a win for Copeland, it's safe to say Cardona is feeling like a pretty big winner at the moment too.

Matt Cardona isn't desperate to sign with AEW or any promotion.

So, after watching Matt Cardona turn in a great television match with Adam Copeland on Collision, is the “Deathmatch King” turning in his “Indy God” status to become the latest member of #AllElite land? Not necessarily, as, in an interview with Wrestling Inc, Cardona noted that he simply isn't looking to sign with a promotion just to be a guy, as he instead wants to become a certified Superstar as a television focal point.

“It would take a lot of convincing. Listen, I’m a businessman. I would have a conversation with anybody who calls me, but it would take the two C’s: cash and creative. Of course, there’s no promises with creative, but the intention would have to be there. I don’t want to just be a guy on a roster. Been there, done that, it’s great, and I get it if you’re fine with that. If you have a family, you want that check coming in. You want the security. I get it. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, but I don’t need that. Been there, done that,” Matt Cardona told Wrestling Inc via TJR.

“My dream wasn’t just to be a pro wrestler. My dream was to be a f**king wrestling superstar. Right now, I’m doing it on my own, but if AEW called, if Tony Khan called me right now and said, ‘Hey, we want you for All In in Wembley,’ if it made sense, of course, I would go. If WWE called and said, ‘Hey, we want to bring you back,” blah blah blah, if it made sense, of course, I would go. But until then, I don’t need to go.”

So, if Cardoa isn't working matches on the indies and beyond in order to secure a massive contract, what is he looking for? Well, to make money and have a ton of fun doing it.

“I think that’s what’s so rewarding about this run is that, ever since I got released, it wasn’t like, “Oh, what can I do to get back to WWE,” or, “What can I do to go to AEW?” I don’t give a s**t. I’m trying to make the most money, have the most fun, and I’m succeeding doing that. I’d argue that my buzz has never been higher. I’ll tell you right now, I’ve never made more money, and I’ve never been happier, so I think I’m doing a pretty good job.”

Could AEW find a way to bring Cardona into his storyline with Copeland and the House of Black, providing support for his long-time friend before eventually turning on him in the future for a proper program? Sure, heck, Cardona could even eventually team up with Christian Cage and call himself a Cage-a-holic just to rub it in with the “Rated-R Superstar,” but for now, I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it to happen, as this feels like just another one-off.