Matt Cardona Reveals Why WWE Brought Him Back Under His Real Name Instead Of Zack Ryder

WWE Wanted Matt Cardona, Not Zack Ryder, Says SmackDown Star

Over five years after his release, Matt Cardona was rehired by WWE in early 2026 but has not been competing as Zack Ryder like his first WWE run. While Cardona did revert to Ryder for his appearance in the Last Time Is Now tournament in 2025, this year has seen him only work under his real name. Speaking to SI’s The Takedown, Cardona reflected on keeping his real name, believing that he proved its value during his time away. He said, “They wante…

SmackDown Star Shares Defiant Message After Six Months Back in WWE

Photo Credit: WWE Matt Cardona has looked back on the first six months of his full-time return to WWE and shared a message with fans. Even though things haven’t gone the way he hoped on SmackDown, Cardona says he has braved through enough tough times before and has no plans to quit. Cardona officially returned to WWE full-time on the January 2, 2026, episode of SmackDown. Before that, he had made several appearances. These included matches on NX…

Matt Cardona Reveals Why WWE Brought Him Back Under His Real Name Instead Of Zack Ryder

WWE star Matt Cardona says he’s “proud” that his real name was considered to have more value than Zack Ryder when he returned to the company. Previously known to fans […]

Matt Cardona Addresses Future Of Zack Ryder Character In WWE

Matt Cardona says the Zack Ryder character is firmly in the past, but his goal of returning to WWE has never changed. Speaking with The Takedown on SI.com, Cardona reflected on how his 2020 WWE release marked the end of the Zack Ryder persona and paved the way for the version of Matt Cardona that has thrived on the independent wrestling scene. “When I got released in 2020, I knew Zack Ryder was dead. And as grateful as I was for him, he taught m…