{"id":150117,"date":"2026-01-07T08:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T13:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=150117"},"modified":"2026-01-07T01:24:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T06:24:21","slug":"the-best-of-zack-ryder-ranking-matt-cardonas-wwe-title-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/01\/07\/the-best-of-zack-ryder-ranking-matt-cardonas-wwe-title-wins\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best of Zack Ryder: Ranking Matt Cardona\u2019s WWE Title Wins"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome Home, Matt Cardona. Following a five-year absence, during which he redefined his career as \u201cThe Indy God,\u201d Cardona has officially re-signed with WWE<\/a>. Moving forward, he will wrestle under his real name, though his legacy as Zack Ryder (2006\u20132020) remains a fan-favorite chapter of WWE history.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthew Cardona got his start in wrestling after a childhood obsession with WWE that grew into a passion for collecting the action figures the company generated. Fulfilling a lifelong dream to become a professional wrestler, he began training in the early 2000s with former ECW star Mikey Whipwreck.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Cardona made his wrestling debut in 2004 for New York Wrestling Connection under the ring name Brett Matthews. Shortly afterwards, he formed a tag team alongside Brian Major, better known to WWE fans as Curt Hawkins. April 21, 2005, marked Cardona\u2019s first WWE appearance, but it wasn\u2019t until nearly a year later, on February 24, 2006, that he signed a developmental contract with the company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He would make his main roster debut in 2007, alongside his long-time tag partner Major, and adopted the in-ring name of Zack Ryder. Major would change his name to Curt Hawkins, and the duo would later team up with Edge after helping him win the World Heavyweight Championship by disguising themselves as \u201cThe Rated R Superstar,\u201d forming the \u201cLa Familia\u201d faction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After being sent to ECW in 2009, Ryder adopted the persona he is most famous for: the Long Island guido character sporting spiky hair, sunglasses, and a headband, who would use the catchphrase \u201cwoo, woo, woo, you know it.\u201d He would see success as part of the Ryder Revolution, becoming a fan favorite. On April 15, 2020, WWE announced that, as part of a series of releases, Zack Ryder would leave the company.<\/span><\/p>\n

The next five years would see Cardona re-ignite his career and make quite the name for himself, winning several titles with Impact Wrestling, Game Changer Wrestling, National Wrestling Alliance, and TNA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2,039 days later, on November 14, 2025, Matt Cardona would shock fans by returning to WWE in the \u201cLast Time is Now\u201d tournament to face LA Knight. Despite reviving his Zack Ryder persona one final time, using his classic theme song and gear, Cardona would go on to lose the bout.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This past Friday on SmackDown, Cardona once again stunned the crowd when he was revealed as the mystery opponent facing Kit Wilson. Leaving his \u201cBroski\u201d persona behind, he abandoned the ring name Zack Ryder and made the transition to Matt Cardona. Cardona ultimately defeated Wilson, picking up his first win in WWE since February 3, 2020.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In celebration of Cardona\u2019s return to his dream role as a WWE superstar, let\u2019s rank the four championships he won during his time as Zack Ryder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

4. Tag Team Championship: The Great American Bash (2008)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Teamed alongside Curt Hawkins, whom Ryder aligned with during their time in the independent circuits, the \u201cEdgeheads\u201d were on a quest to make names for themselves outside the \u201cLa Familia\u201d faction by winning the Tag Team Championships.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The bout was a Fatal 4-Way match that pitted Ryder and Hawkins against the reigning champions, The Miz and John Morrison, as well as Jesse and Festus, and Finlay and Hornswoggle.\u00a0 The fact that The Great American Bash took place in their hometown of Long Island, New York, had the crowd on Ryder and Hawkins\u2019 side despite their heel status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ryder and Hawkins emerged victorious, following Jesse\u2019s fall from the top rope at the hands of Hawkins, who pinned Jesse for the victory. Despite the short length of the match at just over nine minutes, and it being criticized for having too much of a comedic element with the involvement of Hornswoggle and Finlay, this win was still notable for Ryder.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What made this victory for Ryder and Hawkins significant wasn\u2019t just the fact that it was their first title win in WWE, but that they became the youngest Tag Team Champions in WWE history at the time, with both of them being just 23 years old. The legitimate criticism of fans believing the duo was only awarded the titles because of their involvement with Edge and the \u201cLa Familia\u201d faction relegates this win to last in the ranking of Ryder\u2019s title wins.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

3. Raw Tag Team Championship: WrestleMania 35 (2019)<\/b><\/h2>\n

After going their separate ways, making singles runs after they lost their titles in 2009, WrestleMania 35 presented Ryder and Hawkins with the opportunity of a lifetime. They approached reigning Raw Tag Team Champions Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder and asked for a match after reuniting as a tag team duo a few short months earlier.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite Ryder making his long-awaited reunion alongside Hawkins, the focus wasn\u2019t on past achievements and nostalgia, but on Hawkins\u2019 historically awful 269-match losing streak in WWE. Heading into WrestleMania 35, the focus was not only on gaining back their championship belts from over 10 years earlier, but also ending Hawkins\u2019 losing streak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After appearing to be knocked out, Hawkins managed to end his own losing streak by \u201cplaying possum\u201d and then rolling up Dawson for the pinfall. The stadium erupted as Ryder and Hawkins secured their second title win together on the Grandest Stage of them all in their hometown of New York\/New Jersey. <\/span><\/p>\n

The victory would bring Ryder full circle, with him winning another title with his close friend\u2014a feel-good moment deserving of the third spot in the ranking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2. United States Championship: TLC (2011)<\/b><\/h2>\n

2011 is widely considered the peak of the \u201cRyder Revolution,\u201d a movement created by Ryder himself during a period of little screen time in WWE. During this time, Ryder built a massive following stemming from his YouTube channel, where he crowned himself the \u201cInternet Champion.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The grassroots effort was wildly successful, as fans began to chant \u201cWe Want Ryder\u201d during promos and matches involving other wrestlers. WWE had no choice but to incorporate Ryder into more airtime, which developed into a friendship with John Cena. Despite all the online attention he was amassing, Ryder had not yet won his first singles title in WWE, and it was his relationship with Cena that culminated in this accolade. <\/span><\/p>\n

Cena helped Ryder earn a title shot by relinquishing his own WWE Championship opportunity to Ryder so that he could have a match to prove himself, later helping him defeat Mark Henry to earn the right to a United States Championship bout.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the TLC PLE on December 18, 2011, Ryder faced Dolph Ziggler for the United States Championship. With the crowd firmly behind him and Ziggler\u2019s manager, Vickie Guerrero, ejected for interference, Ryder gained the upper hand and delivered his Rough Ryder finisher to secure the pinfall. It was an incredible accomplishment for Ryder, as it showed that all the hard work that he had put into marketing himself had finally paid off in a big way.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Intercontinental Championship:\u00a0 WrestleMania 32 (2016)\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

While the United States Championship win was Ryder\u2019s pinnacle \u201cRyder Revolution\u201d moment, WrestleMania 32 is one of the most emotional victories of his career. He was a late addition to the 7-Man Intercontinental Championship Ladder match when Neville was forced to withdraw after fracturing his ankle. Ryder lobbied WWE brass for the opportunity and convinced them to give him the spot in the match.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The card for the bout was stacked: Ryder, reigning champion Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, Stardust, Sin Cara, and The Miz would all square off for the belt. After a fast-paced match full of thrilling ladder moments, the finish was incredible. <\/span><\/p>\n

Just as it looked like The Miz was about to win the match after climbing the ladder and reaching for the title, Ryder sprang into action, pushing the ladder and sending The Miz onto the canvas. Ryder would catapult up the ladder and grab the belt for the victory.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The moment earned one of the loudest pops of the night, as Ryder was not expected to win heading into the bout.\u00a0 Against all odds, he came away with the victory and achieved his ultimate WrestleMania moment and the biggest title win of his WWE career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A
Photo Credit: By Miguel Discart<\/a> from Bruxelles, Belgique – 2016-04-04_20-35-07_ILCE-6000_3236_DxO, CC BY-SA 2.0, https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=92900949<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The burning question is whether Matt Cardona can replicate his past accolades now that he has retired \u201cThe Internet Sensation\u201d and \u201cThe Long Island Iced-Z\u201d personas. His move to Friday Night SmackDown feels like a strategic win for both parties. <\/span><\/p>\n

As the show expands to a three-hour format, it desperately needs the star power to fill the void that critics have long highlighted in the roster. With Zack Ryder officially shelved, the wrestling world is watching to see if Matt Cardona can achieve the same level of success and fan following that defined his early career.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n

Header photo \u2013 WikiMedia Creative Commons<\/a> \u2013 Stay tuned to the <\/i><\/em>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0for more on Matt Cardona and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the significant news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n

You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em>A&E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome Home, Matt Cardona. Following a five-year absence, during which he redefined his career as \u201cThe Indy God,\u201d Cardona has officially re-signed with WWE. Moving forward, he will wrestle under his real name, though his legacy as Zack Ryder (2006\u20132020) remains a fan-favorite chapter of WWE history. Matthew Cardona got his start in wrestling after […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5699,"featured_media":150143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7205,26,4,3],"tags":[6346,1375],"class_list":["post-150117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history","category-smackdown","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-matt-cardona","tag-zack-ryder"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5699"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150117"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":150144,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150117\/revisions\/150144"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}