The 2026 Poughkeepsie Rumble at the MJN Center was a night of shocking surprises and announcements- including ACW Champion Matt Cardona kicking off the show with a shocking announcement- that he was vacating the coveted ACW World Heavyweight Championship!
Matt Cardona started off the show by announcing that he was vacating the highly sought after ACW World Heavyweight Championship after his shocking appearance on WWE Smackdown the night before. Cardona gave his all to ACW both in the ring and behind the scenes and will be missed as he makes his well-deserved return to WWE.
This left ACW without a champion, Mike Santana without an opponent, and fans wondering how the night would unfold. Enter Busted Open’s David LaGreca, who delivered the solution: the Poughkeepsie Rumble battle royal would now determine the new ACW World Heavyweight Champion, while Santana would issue an open challenge to crown the number one contender. More on that…
From day one, Matt brought passion, professionalism, and star power to Awesome Championship Wrestling. Whether it was in the ring, behind the scenes, or interacting with our fans, he gave ACW his all—and that never went unnoticed. We’re grateful for the moments, the matches, and the memories he helped create with us. As Matt takes this next step and returns to WWE, we wish him nothing but continued success on the biggest stage!
Watch the replay of the entire Poughkeepsie Rumble on TrillerTV+ now!
