Zack Ryder (AKA Matt Cardona) was LA Knightâ€s mystery opponent on WWE SmackDown. But what is his status going forward?
Ryder made his surprise return to WWE last night on SmackDown. He was revealed as LA Knight‘s mystery opponent in the Last Time Is Now Tournament. But the surprise factor was not enough to topple the Mega Star, and Knight advanced in the tournament with a victory.
Following Ryderâ€s return, WWEShop immediately placed multiple shirts online for purchase, leading to speculation that the former Indy God might have signed a new deal with the company. Although that doesnâ€t appear to be the case.
TNA Wrestling, where Ryder regularly appears as Matt Cardona, took to their official website to put over Ryderâ€s WWE appearance while making it very clear that you can continue to see him compete weekly on iMPACT. Posting the following blurb regarding last nightâ€s surprise:
On WWE SmackDown, Matt Cardona was revealed as LA Knightâ€s mystery opponent in the Last Time is Now Tournament. Cardona, otherwise known as Zack Ryder, gave it his all in hopes of moving one step closer toward becoming John Cenaâ€s final opponent on December 13. However, it was LA Knight who secured the victory after eliminating Cardona with Blunt Force Trauma. Watch Matt Cardona in action on TNA iMPACT! Thursdays at 8/7c on TNA+ around the world, AXS TV in the US, and Sportsnet 360 in Canada.
This post was followed up by a report from Fightfulâ€s Sean Ross Sapp (via Fightful Select), who confirms that Cardona isnâ€t signed with WWE. However, he did sign a deal with the company to allow them to produce Zack Ryder merchandise going forward.
Matt Cardona is ready for whatever comes next
WWE cameras caught up with Cardona following his match last night with LA Knight, and he had the following to say about the experience.
“Five years. Itâ€s been five years since I put on Zack Ryder boots,†Matt Cardona said. “Every single morning, the first thing I do, before I even open my damn eyes, is I say, ‘How can I get back here? What do I have to do to get back here?†Iâ€ve busted my ass for the past five years. Death Match King, the Indy God, The Complete, all for this moment. This might be a one-time shot. I might get the call tomorrow. It doesnâ€t matter. Because Iâ€m Zack Ryder. And Iâ€m alwayz ready. And I guess I can say this, woo woo woo, you know it!â€
You can check out the promo with an appearance from LA Knight at the end in the embedded video below:
READ MORE: Two More Matches Confirmed For John Cenaâ€s Last Time Is Now Tournament
What do you make of Matt Cardonaâ€s WWE return last night on SmackDown? Would you like to see him return to the company full-time as Zack Ryder? Let us know your overall thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
If you use any of these quotes, please credit WWE with a link to this article for the transcription.
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