It’s a new year, and a new name for the man formerly known as Zack Ryder. Matt Cardona appeared on Friday’s New Years-themed episode of “WWE SmackDown” to take on Kit Wilson in singles action, and after six and a half years, Cardona secured a victory on WWE programming.

The bell rang, and Wilson wasted no time. A Corkscrew Elbow gave Wilson early match dominance, only for Cardona to catch him with a clothesline. Cardona briefly assumed control, only to have his party spoiled by a wily Wilson, who knocked him off the ropes and to the ground. The two continued to fight, with the tides shifting before Cardona nearly scored a near fall with a Double Underhook Powerbomb. Wilson attempted a response with his signature move, the Tourniquet, but the British star failed to secure the three-count. Things ultimately unraveled when Wilson looked for a blow in the corner, only to miss. From there, Cardona landed the Rough Ryder to secure the winning pinfall.

Per Michael Cole, Cardona is now officially a member of the “SmackDown” roster. Before Cardona’s recent string of appearances, including his “NXT” match against Josh Briggs and his participation in “The Last Time is Now” tournament, Cardona was last seen in a WWE ring in 2020. Since his departure from WWE, Cardona has appeared in a variety of promotions, mainstream and independent alike, such as AEW, Impact/TNA, GCW, and ROH. While Cardona was introduced and referred to as Cardona, his independent circuit persona, his titantron initially referred to him as Ryder. His finisher was also referred to as the Rough Ryder, when it is known as Radio Silence on the independent scene. It is unclear whether Cardona will retain his non-WWE persona moving forward, if he will revert to Ryder, or if he will operate as a blend of his two personas.