Trivia / Matt Cardona

aka: Zack Ryder

• Career Resurrection: Achieved a big one since his release from WWE in 2020 due to "Budget Cuts" after being stuck in midcard for years. He has proven to be a successful star in the independent circuit.
• Follow the Leader:
  • First, a subversion: Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins (Ryder's former tag team partner) started their own YouTube show in an effort to gain more of a fan following, but caught backstage heat from WWE and were forced to shut it down.
  • Santino Marella's first quarter of 2012 has transpired almost exactly like the way the second half of Ryder's 2011 went - his screen time saw a sudden spike in screen time, then he was placed into a storyline role as Teddy Long's assistant...then he won the United States championship. Given that Santino replaced Ryder as Long's assistant right after the latter won his title, it almost looks like WWE was going for a bit of Self-Plagiarism.
• Romance on the Set: Dated Emma and later married Chelsea Green.
• Screwed by the Network: He encouraged his fans to make signs that said things such as "Broski of the Week" and "Zack Ryder=Ratings" and bring them to events. It worked, but the signs were confiscated by WWE at an event in London. He later offered an explanation to the "Ratings" sign's confiscation on the Z!TLIS following the incident; he can't equal ratings, because he's never on TV.
• What Could Have Been: There were rumors that the injured Layla would return to help Zack Ryder fend off Eve after her heel turn - presumably Eve finding a male partner to make it a mixed tag feud. This never happened, and Layla instead returned in a Divas' Championship match.

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