Matt Cardona makes IMPACT Wrestling debut at Hard To Kill

Zack Ryder, now going by his real name Matt Cardona, made his IMPACT Wrestling debut at Hard to Kill as Ace Austin's surprise opponent.

Matt Cardona had a short stint in AEW after being released by WWE in April. Cardona was last seen in AEW in an eight-man tag-team match at the All Out pay-per-view. He teamed up with Dustin Rhodes, QT Marshall, and Scorpio Sky against members of The Dark Order.

Making his debut on IMPACT Wrestling at Hard to Kill, Cardona had a relatively easy match against Super X Cup winner Ace Austin, where he emerged victorious.

ALWAYS READY! @TheMattCardona has made his IMPACT debut at #HardToKill! pic.twitter.com/5KJLovakgv

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) January 17, 2021

Matt Cardona won the match after he hit Ace Austin with 'Radio Silence'.

RADIO SILENCE! #HardToKill @TheMattCardona pic.twitter.com/p9OGTXgR0W

— IMPACT (@IMPACTWRESTLING) January 17, 2021

The possibilities are endless for Matt Cardona after making his debut at IMPACT Wrestling. He could go on a singles run, or even team up with his former WWE teammate Brian Myers, formerly known as Curt Hawkins.

Matt Cardona's career in the WWE

Matt Cardona was well known for his time with WWE, where he worked for 15 years from 2005 to 2020. Then known as Zack Ryder, the former Long Island Iced Z had a fairly successful stint in the mid-card. He is a former one-time Intercontinental and US Champion while also winning the Tag Team Championships on two separate occasions.

Cardona was released in April 2020 by WWE as a part of the budget cuts due to COVID-19.

It is great that Cardona is finally back in a wrestling ring. While there are no details yet about his contract with IMPACT Wrestling, we can only hope that it will be a long and fruitful stint for the former WWE Superstar.