This past Friday night, Matt Cardona returned to SmackDown as part of John Cena’s “Last Time is Now” tournament under his Zack Ryder persona. And while many fans were delighted to see him back, some on social media slammed him, pointing out he’d rebuilt his career as the “Indy God” and previously stated, “Zack Ryder is dead.” And now, during his popular collectibles podcast, he has addressed this, saying, “It is what it is,” indicating he is unbothered by the criticism.
40-year-old Cardona spent 14 years with WWE, capturing both the Intercontinental and United States championships. Yet despite this success, some feel he underachieved given how he managed to connect with fans like few others. Still, Cardona managed to take this ability to the indies post-WWE and was acknowledged by Pro Wrestling Illustrated, who ranked him #13 in the 2022 version of their PWI 500 list, as well as awarding him their “Indie Wrestler of the Year” award in both 2022 and 2023.
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