Matt Cardona has finally responded to his “Zack Ryder is dead” comments after returning to WWE.
Matt Cardona finally returned to WWE as Zack Ryder after almost six years on the latest episode of SmackDown. The Broski was one of the most over stars during his time in the promotion before getting released in 2020. The star then made a name for himself on the independent scene as Matt Cardona and came to be known as The Indy God. On the latest episode of SmackDown, he returned as Zack Ryder, his old gimmick, and faced LA Knight as his surprise opponent in the Last Time Is Now tournament. Although he lost the match, the star’s return has jolted the wrestling space, with everyone talking about it.
Despite the return, fans have been asking why the star returned in the Ryder gimmick despite saying that it was “dead”.
Matt Cardona Says Zack Ryder Has Risen After WWE Return
Soon after his return on WWE SmackDown, one fan called him out for his past comments that suggested the Zack Ryder gimmick was dead and that if he ever returned to WWE, it would be as Matt Cardona. That was also true when he returned to NXT last month as Cardona.
However, that seems to have changed on SmackDown, as the fan noted.
I thought Zack Ryder was DEAD,” the fan wrote.
Cardona responded with a sly remark:
He has risen.”
He has risen
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) November 15, 2025
It remains to be seen what the future holds for Ryder in the company following his return.
Discover more from 6up.net
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.