Matt Cardona Says He Is Not Finished After Triceps Surgery
Summary: Matt Cardona said on X on Nov. 6 that he is in rehab two months after surgery on a torn triceps and does not know when he will be cleared to wrestle. WWE has not given a return date that we found.
The quick version
- Matt Cardona posted on X on Friday, Nov. 6, that he had surgery on a torn triceps just over two months ago and is going to rehab.
- He wrote that he does not know when he will be cleared to return to the ring.
- The injury happened in August. We found no WWE return date.
WWE's Matt Cardona says he is rehabbing a torn triceps and does not yet have a date to return. He posted the update on X on Friday, Nov. 6, two months after surgery. Wrestling Inc reported it.
What he wrote
Cardona posted a mirror selfie flexing the arm. His words: "I tore this tricep and got surgery just over 2 months ago. I've been going to rehab and making up workouts in the gym to work around my injury. In my head, I'm ALMOST ready. I don't know when I'll be cleared to return to the ring, but I do know that I'M NOT FINISHED!"
How he got hurt
Wrestling Inc says Cardona first said the injury could have come in his Aug. 14 SmackDown match against GUNTHER, which GUNTHER won in just over six minutes. He said he was already banged up when he faced Kit Wilson on WWE Main Event, filmed Aug. 21. About a minute in, he fell on his elbow after a second-rope dropkick and heard a "pop." An MRI confirmed the tear the next day, per his earlier post as reported by Wrestling Inc.
Where he stands in WWE
Cardona returned to WWE through the Last Time Is Now tournament, which was for a chance to face John Cena in his final match. WWE announced him as a SmackDown roster member in January, per Wrestling Inc.
What we do not know
Cardona gave no return date and WWE has not announced one that we could find. We have not contacted him or WWE.
Source: Matt Cardona's own post on X on Nov. 6, 2026, as embedded and quoted by Wrestling Inc. We read the post as Wrestling Inc printed it. Nothing in this story is a rumor.
Sources
- Matt Cardona (@TheMattCardona), post on X, Nov. 6, 2026. No link, we read it as embedded by Wrestling Inc.
- Wrestling Inc (Daisy Ruth), "WWE's Matt Cardona Provides Injury Update: 'I'm Not Finished'", Nov. 6, 2026. https://www.wrestlinginc.com/2309790/wwe-matt-cardona-injury-update-not-finished/
- WrestlingNews.com staff reporting: read Wrestling Inc's report and the post as it printed it. We have not contacted Cardona or WWE.
How we credit sources: Editorial standards.