Overview
- Cardona told Cody Rhodes on his podcast that WWE president Nick Khan called after Chelsea Green connected them at a Rumble media event in Saudi Arabia, which started talks on a comeback.
- He said the process hit some bumps after that first call but credited Khan’s willingness to reconnect as the key factor that made a deal possible.
- Cardona is now signed on the SmackDown roster after brief 2025 cameos that raised his profile, including the TNA–NXT crossover and John Cena’s Last Time Is Now tournament.
- He said his long-term target is the WWE Championship, calling it the goal he has chased since childhood.
- He pointed to a 2021 deathmatch win over Nick Gage on the independent scene as a career-turning moment that created buzz and helped put him back in front of WWE decision-makers.