Ex-WWE Star Teases WrestleMania Appearance
A former WWE superstar responded to a fan on social media to suggest that a WrestleMania appearance could happen.
When Matt Cardona worked for WWE from 2005 to 2020, he became a household name as Zack Ryder. Since Cardona’s days as Zack Ryder ended, he has thrived as the “King of the Indies.”
Since departing WWE, Cardona has been a major success on the independent wrestling scene while also working for companies like the NWA, TNA and GCW among others.
Fans who follow Cardona closely know that WWE’s biggest babyface star Cody Rhodes is one of his best friends. The two men are around the same age and came up in WWE in the same mid-2000s time period, which led to a lot of time on the road together.
At WrestleMania 40 on April 6th and April 7th in Philadelphia, Cody has the incredible honor of wrestling twice. In WrestleMania Saturday’s main event, Cody will team with World Heavyweight Champion Seth “Freakin” Rollins against The Rock and Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns. The result of that match will impact Cody’s WrestleMania 40 Sunday match with Reigns. If Cody & Seth win then the Rhodes-Reigns match is Bloodline-free, but if Rock & Reigns win then it’s Bloodline Rules meaning plenty of interference would be legal.
Cardona was asked about Cody’s possible WrestleMania 40 predicament by a fan on Twitter/X and Cardona made it clear he would be there for his friend if needed.
If he needs my help… https://t.co/ygfgC7p4hZ
— Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona) March 25, 2024
Matt Cardona Doesn’t Want To Use Zack Ryder Name In WWE Again
As a former WWE guy, Cardona is often asked if he would be interested in going back to World Wrestling Entertainment some day. The former US Champion & Tag Team Champion does give sarcastic answers at times, but he has also been adamant that if he ever returns to WWE, he wants to use his own name rather than the “Zack Ryder” name from his first run in the company. In a December 2022 interview, Cardona made that perfectly clear.
“I mean, if it was up to me, if I would ever go back it would be as me, Always Ready Matt Cardona. Now if there was going to be a surprise run in or Royal Rumble something, if the Always Ready music hit or the Woo Woo, hit which one would get a bigger pop? I understand Zack Ryder, but I don’t want to. I don’t want to live in the past.”
Something that could lead to Cardona returning to WWE is that his wife Chelsea Green returned to the company and is a former Women’s Tag Team Champion. Whether that leads Cardona to go back to WWE is something that perhaps only he knows.