News

WWE Star Vacates World Championship

By Monika Thapa • Published Jan 04, 2026 05:31 EST
WWE logo Matt Cardona

WWE star Matt Cardona dropped his World Championship.

Cardona recently made his official televised return on the December 2 episode of SmackDown as the mystery opponent for Kit Wilson. He wrestled under his real name rather than his old Zack Ryder persona.

That said, Cardona was advertised to defend the ACW World Championship against Mike Santana at ACW’s Poughkeepsie Rumble.

Instead of walking to the ring, he appeared on the big screen via a pre‑taped video message, announcing that he was vacating the ACW World Title due to signing a new full‑time deal with the Stamford-based promotion.

Check out his video below.

Matt Cardona Shares Motivating Message After WWE Return

In a recent tweet, Matt Cardona poured his heart out, describing his journey after being released from WWE in 2020. He revealed that he worked really hard and never gave up on his dream of being back in the Stamford-based promotion.

April 15, 2020…Zack Ryder was released from @WWE. It had to happen. Being a WWE Superstar was my lifelong dream. I had been signed for 14 years…on TV for 13. I traveled all over the world, had action figures, won championships, and experienced everything else that came with living the dream. I experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. While it was a heartbreaking day, I was grateful for my time in WWE.

I knew I had 3 options. I could feel sorry for myself, become bitter, and fade into obscurity. I could coast off my WWE name and make some money for the rest of my life playing the greatest hits. OR I could reinvent myself, work my ass off, try to outwork every motherfucker out there, and create my own path. I chose option 3.

These past 5 years on the indies have been the greatest time of my career…so far. I have to thank every promotor who booked me, every opponent I wrestled, and every fan who supported me in some way. There’s way too many people to thank. I love you all. There’s no way to wrap up these 5 years in a social media post…it’ll have to wait for the book.

From the moment I got released, I knew I couldn’t focus on proving people wrong. I wanted to prove myself and my fans right…and I believe I did that.

I’m often asked for advice. My advice is don’t quit. You might make it if you don’t. You definitely won’t make it if you do. I took my own advice. I never quit.

My goal was to get back to WWE. And as of last night, January 2, 2026, I am back in WWE…MATT CARDONA is in WWE. I am Alwayz Ready and I’M NOT FINISHED!

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