The November 14, 2025 edition of WWE SmackDown delivered a major surprise when LA Knight’s mystery opponent in the “Last Time Is Now” tournament was revealed to be none other than Zack Ryder — the first appearance by Matt Cardona on a WWE main roster broadcast since 2020.
Ryder received a strong reaction from the crowd as he stepped back into a WWE ring for the first time in five years.
The match itself was competitive, with both men trading momentum throughout the bout, but in the end LA Knight sealed the win with the BFT, advancing to the next round of Cena’s retirement tournament.
Cardona’s WWE return has been speculated about for years. Back in 2022, he addressed the possibility of coming back under the Zack Ryder name, noting WWE’s ownership of the character: “I would love to come back as me, Matt Cardona, but I think realistically, the WWE has that IP and they’ve invested a lot in that name, so I would have no problem [doing it], even if it was a one-off at the Royal Rumble or something like that. I think it’d be interesting. If I were to come out, I don’t know if the people would boo. I think I’d get a huge pop! I think I’d be a babyface again.”
Whether Ryder’s appearance is a one-night return or the beginning of something more remains to be seen, but his comeback added a major moment to SmackDown’s ongoing tournament to determine John Cena’s final opponent.
