Dolph Ziggler Opens Up About His Unexpected WWE Return—”I Didn’t Tell Anyone”
WWE’s massive 16-man tournament to decide John Cena’s final opponent is already delivering shocking moments—and this week, it was Dolph Ziggler’s turn to shake things up.
After Matt Cardona (formerly Zack Ryder) surprised fans with his SmackDown comeback last week, RAW delivered its own twist: the return of Dolph Ziggler, who stepped into the ring to take on Solo Sikoa.
Even though Ziggler didn’t score the win, the crowd reaction said it all—fans were thrilled to see “The Showoff” back in a WWE ring after months away.
Ziggler Shares What It Felt Like to Get “The Call”
Speaking on the Busted Open Radio podcast, Ziggler revealed that he kept the news of his return extremely private—so private that even his parents were left in the dark.
Here’s what he said:
“It was two, maybe three weeks’ notice. There are only a handful of surprises in wrestling that people really remember. I didn’t tell my parents. I only told my brother. I said, ‘If anyone finds out, it’s on you because you’re the only one I told.’”
Ziggler also shared that he’s in a group chat with Bobby Roode, Matt Cardona, and Brian Myers—but even there, nobody mentioned a word about their returns.
“Me and Zack didn’t say anything. Nothing at all. At The Big Event, people asked me, ‘Are you wrestling at the Garden on Monday?’ I just said, ‘Man, I wish. That would be cool—Cena’s last RAW.’”
Are Ziggler and Cardona Back Full-Time?
WWE hasn’t confirmed whether these surprise appearances mean full-time returns or if they were one-off matches similar to a Royal Rumble cameo.
What’s adding more intrigue is the fact that WWE used their WWE ring names—not the names they currently use in other promotions. That has fans hopeful that something bigger is brewing.
For now, one thing is clear: the WWE Universe would love to see both Dolph Ziggler and Matt Cardona back in the company on a permanent basis.
