Is ‘The Indy God’ the Mystery Opponent for RAW at Madison Square Garden?
The Last Time Is Now Tournament continues to heat up as more talent is announced for upcoming RAW matches at Madison Square Garden. One of the matches revealed was Solo Sikoa against a mystery opponent. With speculation growing about who this opponent may be, several names have been mentioned. Gunther was a name predicted to be a surprise opponent against LA Knight, but “The Ring General” has already been confirmed to face NXT’s Je’Von Evans. With RAW taking place in New York, it could be possible that a certain “Long Island Iced-Z” from TNA answers the call and becomes John Cena’s final opponent.
When Matt Cardona first debuted in WWE, he went by the name ‘Zack Ryder’ and was part of a tag team called The Edgeheads alongside Curt Hawkins. Together, they helped The Rated-R Superstar retain his World Championship by any means necessary. Cardona went on to find success as a tag team wrestler, winning the WWE Tag Team Championship once. After splitting from Hawkins, Cardona faded from television until his popularity skyrocketed thanks to his YouTube channel, which earned massive fan support and calls for his return to WWE programming. Cardona had effectively gotten himself over as an internet sensation.
His connection with the crowd led to one of the most memorable underdog moments in WWE history when he defeated Dolph Ziggler to win the United States Championship at TLC 2011. Despite his fan following and accolades, Cardona struggled to break into the main event scene in the following years. He captured the Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match at WrestleMania 32, though his reign lasted only one day. Cardona would later reunite with Hawkins to win the tag team titles once more before his eventual release from WWE in 2020.
Since leaving WWE, Cardona has built an impressive résumé on the independent circuit, winning multiple championships across different promotions, including the GCW World Championship in a brutal and unforgettable match against Nick Gage. He embraced the nickname “The Indy God,” a title that reflects the work ethic and dedication he has displayed since leaving WWE. Now signed with TNA, Cardona has already found himself back in a WWE ring thanks to the working partnership between the two companies. He appeared on an episode of NXT, competing in a hard-fought loss to Josh Briggs.
Now that Cardona has found a way back into WWE and already has a past connection with John Cena, it only makes sense to include him in the tournament, especially with one of the matches taking place in his home state. Cardona has expressed his desire to wrestle again inside a WWE ring, and a surprise appearance on the main roster would not only fulfill that dream but also give fans a long-awaited moment. Cardona will have to fight with everything he has if he wants to become Cena’s final opponent, but his track record speaks for itself. He is ready for the challenge, and it is now up to WWE to decide whether he deserves a place in this historic tournament.
