Tonight’s SmackDown included two matches in the Time Is Now tournament. The winner of the tournament will get to face John Cena in his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. First, Jey Uso defeated The Miz. Then, LA Knight faced a returning wrestler who hadn’t appeared in WWE for five years. Though the returning star was unfairly impacted at the end of the show, his comeback was greatly anticipated.
When Knight entered the arena for his match, WWE revealed who he would be facing: Matt Cardona, also known as Zack Ryder. While he’s currently wrestling as Matt Cardona, fans will remember him as Zack Ryder during his previous run with WWE, and he’s now back using that name.
Okay, so Cardona’s return was a real mixed bag. The crowd absolutely loved him – that ‘woo woo woo’ chant was loud – and he showed a ton of heart in the ring, trading blows with Knight for a good chunk of the match. But, sadly, it ended with a pinfall loss. It’s a bit of a downer to see a returning star like that take the loss, honestly. It wasn’t the triumphant return everyone was hoping for.
I was really surprised to see Chelsea Green return at the Royal Rumble! It was such a moment, but honestly, it was a bit bittersweet. She came back with a bang, but was unfortunately eliminated pretty quickly. It felt like a funny moment for the crowd, but a tough start to her new run with WWE, even though things can always change so quickly in this business.
Looking back, everything that happened feels like a distant memory. Since then, Green has consistently stood out as a top performer in every show she’s been in. She always made the most of every opportunity, delivering strong performances and becoming a fan favorite. Now a double champion and with a lot of positive energy, Green’s success could foreshadow similar achievements for Ryder.
Even though Ryder lost to Knight, Knight is a consistently pushed and popular performer, and fans have been eager to see him compete for a championship for nearly a year. A loss to someone as prominent as Knight isn’t a major setback, especially since Ryder put up a good fight throughout the match.
Despite losing, Ryder seemed resilient and clearly has a strong connection with the fans, even when facing a popular opponent like Knight. This suggests he’ll be well-supported throughout this competition. Fans also quickly expressed interest in seeing more of Green. WWE has recently been more willing to feature real-life couples as on-screen pairings, and hopefully, Green and Ryder will be given that opportunity too.
Zack Ryder returns! Shop his tees available NOW at #WWEShop #WWE :
— WWEShop.com (@WWEShop) November 15, 2025
WWE quickly announced Zack Ryder’s return and has already made his merchandise available on WWE Shop, suggesting he’s expected to be with the company for a while.
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2025-11-15 06:11