WWE pulled off one of its most unexpected moments of the year when Matt Cardona — appearing under his former WWE persona Zack Ryder — showed up on the November 14 episode of SmackDown. Fans knew a surprise entrant into the tournament match against LA Knight was coming, but few expect Ryder to be the opponent. Considering his WWE past, that led to questions about whether Ryder was back in WWE and under contract, or if this was a one-time appearance. It appears to be the latter.