Matt Cardona Returns To WWE As Zack Ryder On SmackDown
John Cena is set to compete in his final WWE match next month, and “The Last Time Is Now” Tournament to determine his final opponent continued on the November 14 episode of SmackDown. The night featured two first-round matches, one of which included a shocking return that electrified the crowd in Albany, NY.
In the first tournament match of the night, “Main Event” Jey Uso faced off against one of Cena’s most storied rivals, The Miz. The Miz, who defeated Cena in the main event of WrestleMania XXVII, looked to gain the ultimate bragging rights by retiring him. However, Jey Uso’s momentum was too much to overcome. Jey picked up the win after hitting a Spear followed by an Uso Splash, advancing to the next round of the tournament.
The second tournament match featured LA Knight taking on a mystery opponent hand-picked by General Manager Nick Aldis. When it was time for the reveal, Matt Cardona made his shocking return to WWE, appearing as his former character, Zack Ryder.
Ryder entered the arena to his classic “Woo, Woo, Woo” theme music, much to the delight of the fans, who chanted along. As the match kicked off, commentator Michael Cole pointed out that Ryder had not competed in a WWE ring (not including NXT) in five and a half years.
The match was a hard-fought contest. At one point, Zack Ryder managed to connect with the Rough Ryder, but The Megastar kicked out at the two-count. Near the end of the match, Ryder was seemingly trying to hit LA Knight with a Rough Ryder off the top rope, but Knight countered with a devastating powerbomb. LA Knight then followed up with the BFT to defeat Ryder and secure his spot in the next round of “The Last Time Is Now” Tournament.
Jey Uso and LA Knight now join Raw‘s Sheamus and Rusev as the first four competitors to advance in the tournament.
