They say that anything can happen in the world of professional wrestling and a former champion made his WWE return during SmackDown on Friday night. Matt Cardona returned as Zack Ryder and he entered The Last Time Is Now Tournament when he faced off against LA Knight. In the end it was Knight who picked up the victory to advance in the tournament.
Fightful Select has confirmed with Matt Cardona himself that he is not signed to WWE. As of right now his appearance on Friday Night SmackDown was a one off. However, WWE sources have confirmed that there is a merchandise deal which is why Zack Ryder merchandise is now available on WWE Shop.
Following his match on SmackDown, Matt Cardona commented on his return when he said, “Five years, it’s been five years since I put on Zack Ryder boots. Every single morning, the first thing I do, before I even open my damn eyes, is say, How can I get back here? What do I have to do to get back here? I’ve busted my ass for the past five years, Deathmatch King, Indy God, The Complete, all for this moment…This might be a one-time shot, I might get the call tomorrow, it doesn’t matter because I’m Zack Ryder, I’m always ready, and I guess I can say this, woo, woo, woo, you know it.”
Stay tuned for more updates on Matt Cardona’s status as they become available.