John Cena Sends Heartfelt Message To Matt Cardona After WWE Return

WWE

John Cena has sent a heartfelt message to Matt Cardona following his WWE return on the January 2 episode of SmackDown.

Not one to shy away from tipping his cap to Cardona throughout his final year in WWE, Cena shouted out the former Zack Ryder during his “Pipe Bomb” promo on CM Punk in June, while also sharing social media tributes to him following his first match back on NXT and his performance in the Last Time is Now Tournament in November.

Now, following Cardona’s official return to the WWE roster on last night’s SmackDown, Cena has shared a heartfelt message hailing the persistence of both he and his wife Chelsea Green as they both begin 2026 as WWE stars.

Taking to Twitter, Cena wrote:

Persistence and preparation tend to help manufacture luck. I couldn’t be more proud of both @TheMattCardona and @ImChelseaGreen

They stand as a tremendous example of making luck through effort. Welcome home Matt.

Cena also paid tribute to Cardona by sharing a screenshot of his WWE return entrance on his Instagram.

Cardona has received an outpouring of appreciation and support since re-signing with WWE, including from many of his colleagues in TNA Wrestling such as Brian Myers and Steph De Lander among others.

WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H also shared a message for “The Complete” on social media following his match on SmackDown – follow this link here for full details.

Persistence and preparation tend to help manufacture luck. I couldn’t be more proud of both @TheMattCardona and @ImChelseaGreen They stand as a tremendous example of making luck through effort. Welcome home Matt.☕️🍸 https://t.co/UYwRdgyIKz

— John Cena (@JohnCena) January 3, 2026

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• wwe
• chelsea green
• John Cena
• matt cardona

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