News

Matt Cardona Making Huge Return To WWE Ring

By Lyle Kilbane • Published Oct 08, 2025 09:50 EDT
Matt Cardona AEW

Matt Cardona is finally returning to a WWE ring!

When it was announced that Trick Williams and Oba Femi would clash in a winner-take-all bout for both the NXT and TNA Titles, it was too much for many TNA stars to bear.

Many took to social media to express their unhappiness with WWE, and one week later, when that match took place, many of them took up seats in the crowd to witness the bout first-hand. One of those who was part of TNA’s invasion was Matt Cardona, best known to WWE fans as Zack Ryder.

As Ryder, the Long Island-native claimed the Intercontinental, US and Tag Team Titles during his time in WWE, but his star rose even greater when he was released by the company in 2020.

Under his real name of Matt Cardona, he has made a huge name for himself on the independent scene, not least helped by his foray into death matches for GCW. Cardona currently competes for TNA as well, and it’s his affiliation with that company that has now landed him back in a WWE ring.

Matt Cardona Demands Match With WWE Star

At NXT Showdown, Matt Cardona appeared in General Manager Ava’s office, where he asked for a match with Josh Briggs. Briggs then entered the room, demanding a match with Cardona while Cardona hid from him. Ava then made the match official, with the bout set to take place on the October 14th edition of NXT.

The match will mark the first time Cardona has been in a WWE ring since the March 9th 2020 edition of Monday Night Raw, when he lost to Bobby Lashley.