When John Cena’s “The Last Time Is Now Tournament” was announced, fans were excited when it was teased that people who don’t currently work for the company would appear. This led to speculation that Adam Copeland, Chris Jericho, and even Mike Santana might possibly participate. Still, very few expected to see Matt Cardona return under his old Zack Ryder character, which is precisely what happened when he was confirmed to be LA Knight’s mystery opponent during last night’s SmackDown in Albany, New York.
And now, having declared on X that his presumed dead character “has risen,” it now appears that Cardona has inked a deal with WWE, even if it is just a Legends contract, as WWEShop.com is already selling Zack Ryder t-shirts, although indicating it was a last-minute decision, it states it will be “shipped no later than Friday, January 2, 2026.”
When Cardona, then known as Zack Ryder, was released by WWE in 2020 after 14 years, many assumed he would drift away into obscurity like so many before him. However, he would instead completely rebrand himself, leading to successful runs in TNA, GCW, MLW, and Billy Corgan’s NWA. However, it is well known that Cardona believes he should be in the major leagues and would, therefore, jump at the opportunity to return to the company full-time.
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