Challenges in the Life of Matt Cardona in a Detailed Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 28, 2026

Life is full of challenges, and Matt Cardona faced many. Discover key struggles and how they were overcome.

Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, is an American professional wrestler and actor. He initially gained prominence in WWE from 2006 to 2020. After his WWE departure, Cardona became a significant figure on the independent wrestling scene and also had a stint in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). He has since returned to WWE, where he currently performs on the SmackDown brand using his real name. Cardona is recognized for his in-ring work and his ability to reinvent himself throughout his career.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

March 2012: Fallen off the face of the earth

By March 2012, John Cena noted that Ryder had fallen off the face of the earth despite 2011's success.

2012: Crashing Star

2012 turned out to be less of a success for Ryder than 2011, eventually ranked as No. 1 in the Top 10 Crashing Stars of 2012.

2012: Commented that the year had "sucked"

As 2012 drew to a close, Matt Cardona, known as Zack Ryder at the time, commented that the year had "sucked", reflecting on his experiences throughout the year 2012.

January 11, 2013: Z! True Long Island Story Ended

On January 11, 2013, the 100th and final episode of "Z! True Long Island Story" was released, marking the end of the series on WWE's official YouTube channel. The show was ended by Dolph Ziggler, who attacked Ryder with his Money in the Bank briefcase

2013: Singles Matches Losses and Royal Rumble Appearance

In 2013, Matt Cardona, as Zack Ryder, frequently appeared on Superstars, losing all his singles matches on Raw and SmackDown. He entered the 2013 Royal Rumble match, his only PPV match of the year, and was quickly eliminated.

January 2014: Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter ranking

In January 2014, the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter ranked Matt Cardona, wrestling as Zack Ryder, as a lower-tier babyface, and the third lowest babyface on the WWE roster.

March 10, 2014: Zack Ryder's Last ReZort Series Launch

On March 10, 2014, Zack Ryder uploaded the first episode of his new series, Zack Ryder's Last ReZort, to his own YouTube channel. In this video, Ryder expressed his frustration regarding his dramatic plunge to the bottom of the roster

November 2014: Torn Rotator Cuff Announcement

In November 2014, Matt Cardona, as Zack Ryder, announced that he had torn his rotator cuff, which was given a storyline explanation involving a comment on Twitter and punishment from The Authority.

January 25, 2015: Royal Rumble return and elimination

On January 25, 2015, Matt Cardona, as Zack Ryder, returned at the Royal Rumble, entering the Rumble match at No. 9 and was quickly eliminated by Bray Wyatt.

June 2015: Singles Matches on Superstars and Main Event

Starting in June 2015, Matt Cardona, as Zack Ryder, continued wrestling on Superstars and Main Event, suffering singles losses but also trading wins with various opponents.

March 2016: Singles Matches on Superstars and Main Event

Until March 2016, Matt Cardona, as Zack Ryder, continued wrestling on Superstars and Main Event, suffering singles losses but also trading wins with various opponents.

September 4, 2021: Loss of GCW World Championship to Jon Moxley

On September 4, 2021, at The Art of War Games, Matt Cardona lost the GCW World Championship to Jon Moxley.

January 8, 2022: Impact World Championship Match

On January 8, 2022, at Hard To Kill, Matt Cardona was unsuccessful in capturing the Impact World Championship in a three-way match also involving W. Morrissey.