During her appearance on Insight With Chris Van Vliet, WWE Women’s United States Champion Chelsea Green spoke candidly about her husband, Matt Cardona, and the growing speculation around his potential return to WWE.
“We’re waiting. It’s gonna happen, I hope,” Green stated, revealing her optimism about seeing Cardona—formerly known in WWE as Zack Ryder—back on the grand stage. Green didn’t hold back her praise, passionately explaining why she believes he deserves another run with the company.
“Honestly, I could go on a whole podcast rant about all the things he’s done and why he deserves to be back,” she said. “There’s nobody who has recreated themselves like him. Cody [Rhodes] did a great job of recreating himself, but at the end of the day Cody is Cody. Matt was a babyface for almost 20 years in WWE. His career was just all him being a babyface. Nobody believed he could be a heel and then he went out and became the biggest heel on the Indies ever. Well, I actually think the biggest star the Indies has ever seen, period.”
Since his WWE departure in 2020, Cardona has transformed into a dominant force on the independent wrestling scene. Under his real name and the persona of “The Indy God,” he has showcased a brash, arrogant heel character that stands in stark contrast to the fan-favorite Zack Ryder persona. His post-WWE success includes reigns as NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, GCW World Champion, and Impact Digital Media Champion—earning him “Indie Wrestler of the Year” honors from Pro Wrestling Illustrated in both 2022 and 2023.
While WWE has yet to confirm any plans for Cardona, Green’s comments echo growing fan support for a return, especially considering Cardona’s undeniable reinvention and impact outside the WWE system.
