Former WWE Superstar misses surprising aspect from SmackDown
WWE SmackDown made its debut on April 29, 1999, on UPN, and it has been on the air since. Matt Cardona, formerly known as WWE Superstar Zack Ryder, misses something from the old SmackDown set that was a staple from 2001 to 2008.
Cardona was signed by WWE from 2005 to 2020 and was on the main roster for almost 13 years. He was released as part of the COVID-19 budget cuts. He returned to the independent circuit and turned himself into one of the top talents outside of North America's top two wrestling promotions.
Despite not being associated with his former employers anymore, Cardona continues to bring up WWE content on his social media pages. He recently presented himself as a possible opponent for John Cena's retirement match.
The former United States champion then celebrated the debut of the SmackDown fist 22 years ago on Twitter/X. The gigantic fist was an iconic part of the blue brand's stage for a large chunk of the 2000s.
"I am fist guy," Cardona tweeted.
The fist was introduced 22 years ago after Rhyno Gored Chris Jericho through the old SmackDown set. It lasted until January 2008, when the high-definition Titantron was introduced.
Matt Cardona made his WWE SmackDown debut with the fist still intact
Matt Cardona made his main roster debut as part of The Major Brothers on the May 1, 2007 episode of ECW. He was known back then as Brett Major and was teaming up with his kayfabe brother Brian Major. They were later drafted to SmackDown and made their debuts for the blue brand with the fist on the entrance ramp.
They later joined Edge's La Familia and dropped the Major Brothers gimmick. Cardona became Zack Ryder, and Brian turned into Curt Hawkins. The duo won the Tag Team titles twice during their run together.
Would you like to see the fist back on SmackDown? Share your answers in the comments section below.