Matt Cardona made his full-time return to WWE on the January 2nd 2026 episode of SmackDown, officially joining the brand under his real name rather than the Zack Ryder persona. Competing in singles action against Kit Wilson of Pretty Deadly, Cardona picked up the victory with his signature Rough Ryder.
Cardona, as Zack Ryder, previously competed in John Cena’s “The Last Time is Now” tournament as a surprise entrant.
MATT CARDONA IS HERE 🤩
Zack Ryder is so last year 😜 pic.twitter.com/AsEYWMUbE2
— WWE (@WWE) January 3, 2026