WWE's Zack Ryder Wows the Crowd At Long Island Debut

Take care and spike your hair.

That’s the catch phrase of WWE’s up-and-coming star Zack Ryder. Ryder, who’s real name is Matt Cardona, grew up in Merrick. On Monday, he returned home to perform in front of a capacity crowd at Nassau Coliseum.

Ryder received a huge ovation when he came out for his match during WWE Superstars, which airs on Thursday. Ryder defeated Primo with his signature move, “Rough Rider,” and he was serenaded with applause.

Ryder, 25, was signed to a developmental deal by WWE in February 2006 and he became tag team partners with Curt Hawkins. Both talents trained at New York Wrestling Connection, which is based in Deer Park.

“Zack Ryder is a great wrestler,” Kenny Royal, NYWC wrestler, said. “He’s determined to make a big impact in the business. I admire his heart and dedication.”

Ryder and Hawkins were called up to the main roster in 2007 and they had their first taste of gold on July 20, 2008 when Hawkins got the pin in a fatal four-way match against the Miz and John Morrison, Jesse and Festus, and Finlay Hornswoggle to give the duo the WWE Tag Team titles.

After the duo lost the belts two months later, Ryder began to move towards the bottom end of the card. He was no longer being featured on television, and he decided to start a show on YouTube called the “Z! True Long Island Story.” The latest episode, posted on June 9, has more than 92,000 views thus far.

“Zack Ryder is awesome,” said Andy Lippe, a Merrick resident. “He is going to be a big part of WWE’s future.”

Ryder has been encouraging fans to bring signs to live events to support him, offering the opportunity to be “Broski of the Week.” The crowd has responded, and recently, Ryder has been getting more television spots on Raw, mostly in a comedic role with John Cena.

“He has charisma,” Bellmore resident, Mike Maddi, said. “They can’t keep him off Raw forever. Soon, it will be his time to shine.”

As Zack Ryder says, “Woo! Woo! Woo! You know it…bro.”