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Zack Ryder spent 15 years with WWE. He was released in April 2020 due to COVID-19 budget cuts but has found major success on the indies and with promotions like TNA, GCW, and the NWA. The multi-time champion just made surprising remarks about his biggest WWE victory.
The Long Island Iced Z had several WrestleMania Moments. He worked Battle Royals in 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, and 2018, and was on the losing end of the 12-man match in 2012. WrestleMania 32 in 2016 saw Ryder capture the Intercontinental Championship by winning a Ladder Match over Dolph Ziggler, Sin Cara, Sami Zayn, Stardust, The Miz, and then-champion Kevin Owens.
A fan on X shared highlights from the WrestleMania 32 Ladder Match today, which also led to a response from Ziggler, aka Nic Nemeth. Ryder responded and declared he felt like the winner before he even hit the ring.
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"I loved this match. Just walking down the aisle was THE win for me..." Zack Ryder wrote.
Ryder's last PLE match with the Stamford-based company came on the Elimination Chamber 2020 Kickoff, where he and Hawkins were defeated by The Viking Raiders. One night later on RAW, Ryder worked his final WWE match as he was squashed by Bobby Lashley.
Zack Ryder wins award for post-WWE success
Matt Cardona was released from World Wrestling Entertainment in April 2020. He has since appeared for AEW, TNA, GCW, MLW, and NWA, just to name a few. The former United States Champion has also found major success on the indies.
Cardona had been on a mission to rack up championship gold until suffering an injury this past April. Since leaving WWE, he has held the NWA World Heavyweight Championship, the GCW World Championship, and the TNA Digital Media Championship, among others. Cardona was honored twice by Pro Wrestling Illustrated as the Indie Wrestler of the Year for 2022 and 2023.
Ryder's success after departing the Stamford-based company led to him adopting nicknames such as The Indy God and The Deathmatch King. A few of his indie championships include the HOG Heavyweight Championship, the WSW World Heavyweight Championship, and the DDT Universal Championship.
