One week after making his return on WWE Friday Night SmackDown, Zack Ryder/Matt Cardona is “grateful” for fans' support despite not knowing what's coming next.

Ryder took to X, formerly Twitter, to reflect on his shocking WWE return. This may be the last time he talks about it, though, as even he acknowledged that he has probably “milked the appearance as much as I can.”

“It’s been 1 week since I showed up on SmackDown. I think I have milked the appearance as much as I can…haha,” Ryder quipped. “This business moves so fast. It doesn’t care what you did last week. What are you doing now…what are you doing NEXT?!”

While he expressed gratitude towards WWE for bringing him back, he also thanked the fans. They were the driving force behind him coming back.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity I was given last week,” he continued. “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!”

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Is Zack Ryder back in WWE after his return?

However, Ryder's future remains unclear. He acknowledged this at the end of his post. “It's unknown what's next for Zack Ryder…but I am ALWAYZ READY. Woo Woo Woo…You Know It!” he said.

Perhaps his merch sales will play a role in his future. Before his message concluded, Ryder asked fans to “buy” his shirts that WWE added to their online shop.

In October 2025, Ryder, as Matt Cardona, made his WWE return on NXT as part of the TNA invasion storyline. However, when he returned on SmackDown as part of the “Last Time is Now” tournament (to determine John Cena's final opponent), he had reverted to his Zack Ryder gimmick.

Cardona was known as Zack Ryder during his first WWE run, which lasted 15 years from 2005 to 2020. He was released in April 2025, returning to the independent circuit. Perhaps a full-time WWE run is in the future.