Matt Cardona thanks fans one week after WWE ‘Ryder Resurrection’
One week after his surprise SmackDown return, Matt Cardona sent out a message thanking fans for making the “Ryder Resurrection” possible.
Cardona made a one-night-only return to WWE last Friday as part of the Last Time is Now tournament. He stepped back into his Zack Ryder persona for the first time in more than five years, losing a matchup against LA Knight.
“It’s been 1 week since I showed up on SmackDown. I think I have milked the appearance as much as I can…haha,” Cardona posted today. “This business moves so fast. It doesn’t care what you did last week. What are you doing now…what are you doing NEXT?!
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity I was given last week. Thank you @wwe. But most importantly, I have to thank the fans. You all caused the Ryder Revolution in 2011. In 2025, you caused the Ryder Resurrection!
“It’s unknown what’s next for Zack Ryder…but I am ALWAYZ READY. Woo Woo Woo…You Know It!”
Cardona has signed a temporary merchandise deal allowing WWE to release new Zack Ryder T-shirts. As far as any in-ring future with WWE, the match against Knight was a one-off for now. Cardona stars on the indies for promotions like GCW in addition to making appearances for TNA.
The Last Time is Now tournament continues on SmackDown tonight with Bronson Reed vs. Carmelo Hayes and Penta vs. Finn Balor. They are the last first-round matches in the tournament, which has already seen Knight, Sheamus, Rusev, Jey Uso, Gunther, and Solo Sikoa advance. The tournament winner earns the right to be John Cena’s final opponent.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.