Zack Ryder recalls Triple H's advice after SmackDown appearance 

Matt Cardona, aka Zack Ryder, has been in the headlines after his SmackDown appearance last week. Triple H booked the 40-year-old star in the Last Time is Now tournament.

The "Indy God" got a huge reception as he showed up on SmackDown. He faced LA Knight in a first-round match of the Last Time in Now tournament. Although Ryder did not get the win, he made a mark with his thrilling performance.

On the latest episode of the NotSam Wrestling podcast, Ryder shared about his discussion with Hunter. He mentioned that their exchange was very positive. He even went through some interesting trivia. Zack Ryder stated that the first time he was in Albany, New York, he was teaming up with Curt Hawkins against Triple H and Jeff Hardy. He felt his life had come a full circle after he got the traditional finger-point picture with The Game.

"Everything was positive. It was such a whirlwind, so I don’t want to paraphrase or even try to remember everything. But everything seemed positive. I got the point. And it’s funny, because as I was just kind of cooling off, I’m like, 'When was the first time I was in this building?' It was Albany. So I did a little research. The first time I ever wrestled in Albany, it was Curt Hawkins and Ryder vs. Triple H and Jeff Hardy. I went on WWE.com. I found this picture, like Triple H spinebustering me. Like, how wild is it? The first time I’m there, I'm getting spinebusted by Triple H. Last time I’m there, getting the finger point." (H/T PWMania)

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Zack Ryder shared a moment with LA Knight

After the match, Zack Ryder shared a short clip on social media. He was backstage in WWE, talking about how he had dreamed of returning to the company ever since his release five years ago.

As he was talking, LA Knight walked up to the star. Knight mentioned that he didn't know if this was a one-off appearance or a full-time deal, but he was full of respect for his opponent. The two stars shook hands before LA walked off.

Edited by Prityush Haldar