You never know who’s going to show up when you watch WWE programming and this week Matt Cardona shocked the world when he arrived on SmackDown. Cardona defeated Kit Wilson in a singles match and it was confirmed during the match that Cardona is now officially part of the Friday Night SmackDown roster.
Following Matt Cardona’s return on SmackDown, John Cena posted the following:
“Persistence and preparation tend to help manufacture luck. I couldn’t be more proud of both @TheMattCardona and @ImChelseaGreen They stand as a tremendous example of making luck through effort. Welcome home Matt.☕️🍸”
Persistence and preparation tend to help manufacture luck. I couldn’t be more proud of both @TheMattCardona and @ImChelseaGreen They stand as a tremendous example of making luck through effort. Welcome home Matt.☕️🍸 https://t.co/UYwRdgyIKz
— John Cena (@JohnCena) January 3, 2026
Matt Cardona first signed with WWE in 2006 and he originally debuted as Brett Major. He was later renamed Zack Ryder and he competed in WWE as Zack Ryder until he was released in 2020. Throughout his first run with the company he managed to win the WWE United States Championship, WWE Intercontinental Championship and Raw Tag Team Championship.