Zack Ryder made a surprise return to WWE SmackDown on Friday night, competing in John Cena’s 16-man “The Last Time is Now” tournament against LA Knight. Ryder, whose real name is Matt Cardona, previously appeared in WWE for many years as part of Edge’s La Familia faction. Since then, he has moved on to independent promotions as well as working with AEW and TNA.
However, last month, Cardona returned to WWE programming under his real name as part of a TNA invasion storyline on NXT. John Cena’s tournament opened the door for individuals associated with both NXT and TNA to participate, aiming to determine a final opponent before Cena’s retirement.
Cardona’s appearance on SmackDown surprised fans, mainly because he appeared as his Zack Ryder character, complete with a remixed theme song and his trademark “Woo Woo Woo” catchphrase. This nostalgic presentation teased the possibility that he might be back with WWE for good.
His match against LA Knight ended in a loss, with Knight securing the pinfall in an entertaining contest. After the match, cameras captured a backstage exchange between the two wrestling stars. “Woo, Woo, Woo, you know it,” an out-of-breath Ryder said while addressing the camera. Turning toward Knight, the two engaged in a brief staredown before Knight extended his hand. They shared a handshake, and Knight said, “I don’t know if this is a ‘welcome back’ or if this is ‘see ya later,’ but all I can say is, Yeah! Good stuff,” before walking off.
Fans reacted positively to Ryder’s return to WWE programming, especially since his wife, Chelsea Green, is currently under contract and has been working with WWE for several years. Green recently became a double champion, holding the AAA Mixed Tag Team Championship alongside Ethan Page, and more recently, achieving her second reign as WWE United States Champion.
Fans took to social media to share their excitement. One fan commented under the Ryder and Knight video on X, saying, “They definitely need to run it back.” Another asked, “Is this the tag team I didn’t know I needed?!” while a third chimed in, “The Knight Ryders. New Tag Team Champions. Book it!”
Cardona originally competed in WWE as Zack Ryder from 2005 to 2020 before departing for All Elite Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and TNA Impact Wrestling. It remains unclear whether his recent SmackDown appearance was a one-time event. However, there are likely several WWE championships he may aim to claim beyond the WWE Tag Team, United States, and Intercontinental titles he has previously held.
Stay tuned for further updates on Zack Ryder’s status with WWE.
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https://www.newsweek.com/sports/wrestling/wwes-zack-ryder-la-knight-have-backstage-exchange-after-smackdown-match-11053399
