Matt Cardona, known to WWE fans as Zack Ryder, made his return on the November 14 episode of WWE SmackDown. He competed in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament against LA Knight, ultimately coming up short. Despite the appearance, Ryder is reportedly not locked into a new WWE deal.
According to Fightful Select, both WWE and Cardona have confirmed that his return on SmackDown is, for now, being considered a one-off appearance. While a full-time talent contract is not in place, a merchandising agreement was established. This was evident as new Zack Ryder merchandise began selling online shortly after his return on Friday’s show.
Further complicating his status, Cardona worked Saturday’s TNA Wrestling TV tapings at Full Sail University in Florida. He responded to a TNA social media post about the Saturday show, writing, “I’ll be there!”
Ryder alluded to his return being for one night only in his post-match comments published on WWE’s YouTube channel. “This might be a one time shot, I might get the call tomorrow, but it doesn’t matter because I’m Zack Ryder and I’m always ready. And I guess I can say this: Woo woo woo, you know it.”
LA Knight then entered the scene and also seemed unsure if Ryder was back full time or if this was a final appearance. “I don’t know if this is a welcome back or if this is a see you later but all I can say is, Yeah!”
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