Former WWE US champion shockingly returns after 3378 days in blink-and-you-miss-it cameo

A former WWE champion made his return tonight. His return comes after 3378 days.

Matt Cardona wrestled for the WWE for several years from 2007 to 2020. During this time, he grew to become one of the most popular men on the roster. He even captured the United States Championship. When his career was taking a downturn, Cardona moved to NXT briefly, where he formed a successful tag team with Mojo Rawley called The Hype Bros. He moved back up to the main roster permanently after finishing his last match for the black and silver brand in 2016. Cardona departed WWE in 2020 and returned to compete in the Indies.

Tonight on WWE NXT, Oba Femi and Trick Williams are set to compete in a massive title vs. title match. Given that the TNA World Championship is on the line, several stars from the brand have voiced their displeasure over this match. Hence, several TNA Wrestling stars are in NXT tonight. When the cameras showed Oba Femi walking in the parking lot, Matt Cardona was standing behind him.

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Former WWE star Matt Cardona competed for AEW last year

On the 30th March, 2024, episode of Collision, Matt Cardona challenged Adam Copeland for the TNT Championship. Both men put on an incredible match, but it was the Rated R Superstar who won the bout.

Cardona opened up about the match during an interview with Fightful, where he claimed that AEW didn't like the match because he never got a job. However, he noted that it was his dream match and he was grateful for the opportunity.

"I guess AEW didn't love it because I never got a job," Cardona said. "But seriously, it was my dream match, and it was a great moment. I'm forever grateful for that match with Adam Copeland. I think just walking down that aisle—I'm getting goosebumps right now, you can't tell because I'm wearing this custom suit—but it was like, ‘Wow, it worked. Everything I've been doing, it's working, it worked.’ Validation, is that the right word?"

It will be interesting to see if Matt Cardona will get involved in the winner takes all match later tonight.

Edited by Sunil Joseph