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Matt Cardona Declares “Zack Ryder Is Dead”

By Lyle Kilbane • Published 31st October 2022
Matt Cardona

With several ex-WWE stars returning to the company, Matt Cardona has made clear that if he was to go back, it wouldn’t be as Zack Ryder.

Cardona made his name in WWE as Zack Ryder when he burst onto the main roster as one of The Edgeheads alongside Curt Hawkins (aka Brian Myers). Ryder proved to be a trailblazer as he launched the hugely successful Long Island Iced Z YouTube series that catapulted him to a featured position on television and an eventual US Title win.

But that spot didn’t last long and after Zack Ryder was unceremoniously dumped off the stage while in a wheelchair by Kane, it resulted in the star tumbling back down the card.

The undisputed biggest moment of Zack Ryder’s WWE career came at WrestleMania 32 when he shocked everyone by winning the multi-man ladder match to win the Intercontinental Championship. He was released from his WWE contract four years later in April 2020.

Since then Matt Cardona has made a name for himself as part of IMPACT Wrestling and through his exploits in Game Changer Wrestling. Cardona captured the GCW Championship from Nick Gage, going on to become one of the most hated villains on the entire roster.

Now with many former WWE stars such as Emma, Bray Wyatt, and Braun Strowman returning to WWE, a fan wondered on social media if a return could be in store for Zack Ryder. Matt Cardona replied and suggested that if he returned to WWE it wouldn’t be as The Original Broski:

“Zack Ryder is dead. Long live Matt Cardona!”