Matt Cardona’s return to SmackDown wasn’t just a surprise; it was the culmination of a five-year journey of reinvention.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, Cardona’s wife and fellow WWE Superstar Chelsea Green opened up about the emotions surrounding his return. She revealed that while she wasn’t as nervous as she was for his initial cameo in the John Cena tournament, the weight of the moment was significant.
“We’ve now waited for this moment for five years,” Green said. “I know how hard I worked to get back here. He worked even harder… He worked twice as long on the indies this time around and he really reinvented himself.”
Green emphasized the challenge of reintroducing Cardona to a WWE audience that might only remember him as “Zack Ryder.”
“They won’t have known his indie run. They won’t have known that he trended worldwide for a death match against Nick Gage. They won’t know that he’s now the indie god… that he never was a heel in WWE and now spent the past five years as a heel.”
Green also touched on her own recent battles, specifically losing the WWE Women’s United States Championship to Giulia. Describing it as the “hardest Japanese strong style match I’ve ever had,” she admitted she was “limping on both legs” afterward but gave credit to Giulia for the victory.
Cardona is currently embroiled in a feud with Kit Wilson on SmackDown, looking to prove that the “Indy God” can dominate the blue brand.
