The first major stop on the road to WrestleMania every year is the Royal Rumble, often kickstarting fan speculation towards which former WWE stars could be returning to the company, or if any indie talent will be making appearances. In recent years, stars like Andrade and Nia Jax made their return at the Rumble, and have been signed with WWE since. With the event just 22 days away, Women's United States Champion Chelsea Green has provided her thoughts on who should reappear in WWE, and it's somebody she's very familiar with. Green responded to a Tweet asking which ex-WWE star should be brought back to the company, prompting her to suggest her real-life husband, Matt Cardona, formally known as Zack Ryder in WWE. "LOL........ there's only one correct answer."
LOL........ there's only one correct answer pic.twitter.com/6Av2HCMJ5g
— CHELSEA GREEN (@ImChelseaGreen) January 10, 2025
Cardona hasn't been seen in WWE since 2020, after being included in a round of budget cuts that occurred after WrestleMania 36. Since then, Cardona has spent the last five years building his resume on the indie scene, competing in promotions such as GCW, TNA, and most recently AEW. "The Deathmatch King" has impressively captured 20 championships since leaving WWE, and has been able to wrestle the likes of Chris Jericho, Mike Bailey, and Hiroshi Tanahashi.
Cardona's name always seems to be present leading up to the Royal Rumble, especially because he's chosen to remain a free agent throughout the years. There was speculation that Cardona was close to signing with AEW last December, particularly after his match with Jericho, but an official contract offer has still not come to fruition.
