A SmackDown star made a one-off (at the time) return to WWE during John Cena’s retirement tour. The star had been with WWE for 13 years before being released in 2020. Last year he saw an opening, and he is now officially a WWE star again, having returned on the January 2, 2026, edition of SmackDown. AdThe star, Matt Cardona, has opened up about how his current WWE run compares to his earlier one. Earlier known as Zack Ryder, Cardona has solidified his place on SmackDown.