Zack Ryder made a surprise return to WWE on this week’s episode of SmackDown, entering The Last Time Is Now Tournament as LA Knight’s mystery opponent. The former WWE star appeared in full Ryder persona, giving fans what they have been waiting for over the past few years.Ryder faced LA Knight in a massive singles battle and ended up on the losing side, getting eliminated from the tournament in the first round itself. Ryder had an incredible run at the Stamford-based company in the past. He has had a brief run in AEW, as well.Since his return to the blue brand, fans have been wondering if the former United States Champion had signed a new deal with WWE. As per recent reports from Fightful, the star has not signed a new contract with the company, and his return was a one-night appearance.However, the star had signed a merchandise deal with the company before his return, which is why Ryder’s merchandise was seen on the company’s website. Despite this, he has not signed another deal with the company, and his return seems to be a one-night appearance, for now. Time will tell if the star has any interest in signing a full-time deal with the Stamford-based company.Zack Ryder addresses how hard he worked for his WWE returnSince his release from the company in 2020, Zack Ryder has portrayed multiple personas just to get the spotlight and make headlines around the world. Following his return, in a backstage interview, the star stated that he had worked very hard to get back to the company, and that he was ready to return again whenever needed."I’ve busted my a** for the past five years. Death Match King, the Indy-God, the complete, all for this moment. This might be a one-time shot. I might get the call tomorrow. It doesn’t matter. Because I’m Zack Ryder, I’m always ready. Woo woo woo, you know it,” he added.Fans will have to wait and see if WWE has any more plans with Zack Ryder in the near future.