Matt Cardona Reveals Why WWE Brought Him Back Under His Real Name Instead Of Zack Ryder

WWE

WWE star Matt Cardona says he’s “proud” that his real name was considered to have more value than Zack Ryder when he returned to the company.

Previously known to fans as Zack Ryder, Matt Cardona made a return to WWE in October of last year before signing with the company and heading to SmackDown in January, 2026.

Cardona’s return to WWE would see him appear under that name on the October 14 episode of NXT, before reverting to Ryder for his appearance in the Last Time Is Now tournament, and then bringing his independent wrestling name to SmackDown this year.

Speaking to SI’s The Takedown, Cardona reflected on the value that his name had garnered on the independent wrestling scene and how WWE recognized that, saying:

“They wanted Matt Cardona. I’m proud of that. That they thought the Matt Cardona I built on the independents was more valuable than Zack Ryder. And I’m grateful for Zack Ryder, because without him and my previous time in WWE, there’s no Matt Cardona.

“Everything I learned, and not just putting matches together, but how to do interviews like this, how to market myself, how to sell merchandise, I learned it in WWE.”

A return to WWE brings limits on the creativity that Cardona experienced on the independent wrestling scene, something he is content with thanks to the opportunities now at hand, stating:

“On the independents, if I wanted to ride to the ring in the Ghostbusters Ecto-1, I just did it.

“I don’t think I’ll be doing that this week. I got SmackDown. It’s WWE. You’re on USA, you’re on Netflix, you’re on ESPN, you’re all over the world. There’s nothing like being a WWE Superstar. I’m grateful to have that opportunity again.”

Cardona hasn’t entirely left Ryder behind, having recently been electrocuted by a Danhausen experiment, crying out “woo, woo, woo”, before answering the Very Nice, Very Evil star’s question of “you okay?” with “you know it.”

The Long Way Back

Zack Ryder was one of a number of WWE stars to be released from their contracts in April 202o due to the COVID-19 budget cuts, going onto to an independent wrestling run that would also see him return to television in AEW, Ring of Honor, and TNA Wrestling.

No longer part of the company he had called home since 2005 and his developmental days, the former Intercontinental Champion would comment on the possibility of a WWE return on a frequent basis before eventually making his way back there.

It was a situation that Kevin Owens would note during an appearance on What Do You Wanna Talk About? With Cody Rhodes. During the episode, Owens would note that “for a guy who loves being on the indies so much, he sure f**king talks about how he wants to be back in WWE a lot”, reducing Rhodes to fits of laughter.

Recognizing the humor behind the exchange, Cardona would suggest that “they were half-burying” him, but he did suggest he would perhaps mention it less.

The October NXT appearance last year was the Cardona had stepped into a WWE ring under his own name since 2020, with his subsequent return as Zack Ryder in a loss to LA Knight no doubt a contributing factor for a longer-term return, particularly due to the adoration the star received from the fans in attendance and online.

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• wwe
• zack ryder
• matt cardona

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