3 Signs 40-year-old star has officially signed with WWE after over 5 years

The November 14 edition of WWE SmackDown served up a huge surprise as Zack Ryder (aka Matt Cardona) returned to the main roster for the first time in over five years. The former Intercontinental Champion was revealed as the opponent for LA Knight in the first round of the Last Time is Now Tournament.

Despite a surprise return, the Indy God could not get the job done as he lost to The Megastar in his first match back. Over the past few months, Cardona has made a handful of appearances on NXT as part of the 'invasion' storyline in partnership with TNA.

However, upon his return to the main roster, he reverted to using Zack Ryder as his ring name. Fans have been speculating whether his appearance was a one-off or a full-time comeback. Here, we will explore three signs Ryder is back permanently with WWE.

3. New merch on the WWE Shop

Right after Ryder's return, WWE announced that they had introduced new merchandise for him. The company put three T-shirts up for sale on their website, which is highly unusual for a one-off appearance.

This is a strong indication that Zack Ryder could be back full-time with the Stamford-based promotion, despite coming up short against LA Knight.

2. Name change

During his time away from WWE, Ryder competed under his real name, Matt Cardona, and became one of the most prominent names in the independent circuit. His 'Indy God' character helped him gain a lot of traction and completely changed the game for wrestlers on the indies.

He even appeared as Matt Cardona during his time in NXT. However, at the time, he was recognized as a TNA star. Changing his name seems like a big move, and it could be simply because he is back permanently.

1. He was not announced as a TNA star

When Joe Hendry made main roster appearances earlier this year, the announcers made it clear that he was representing TNA. However, no such announcement was made for Zack Ryder when he was making his entrance.

There was no indication of him being affiliated with TNA, even in the graphic for his name. This indicates that he could be back for good in WWE. While no confirmation has been made about Ryder's role following his massive return, the signs all point to him having a prominent role on the main roster after his shocking return.

With SmackDown's mid-card struggling to gain traction, he could easily become a formidable opponent for Ilja Dragunov and challenge the Mad Dragon for his United States Championship. It remains to be seen how things play out over the next few days and whether Ryder is indeed back for good.