Matt Cardona has set his sights on a potential return at next year’s Royal Rumble as he begins recovering from surgery to repair a torn triceps.
The WWE star suffered the injury during an August match taped for WWE Main Event, which later aired on September 3, 2026. The setback required Cardona to undergo surgery quickly, removing him from WWE action at a time when he had begun to find increasingly meaningful opportunities on SmackDown.
Speaking on Casuals with Katie Nolan, Cardona made clear that he is not simply accepting the longest projected recovery timetable. While acknowledging that the process will take time, he identified the Royal Rumble as the event he would like to make his comeback.
“The plan is to be back shorter than the surgeons say. Maybe come back to the Royal Rumble. Who knows? That’s February this year. So, I got some time,” Cardona said.
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It is an optimistic target, but one that gives Cardona several months to focus on rehabilitation following an injury that can be particularly demanding for an in-ring performer. A triceps injury affects a wrestler’s ability to strike, lift, brace during falls, pull an opponent into position, and protect themselves through the physical chaos of a match. Returning before the arm is ready would carry obvious risks, making the balance between urgency and medical clearance crucial.
Cardona’s comments do not establish a firm return date, and WWE has not announced that he will be medically cleared in time for the event. Still, the Royal Rumble represents a natural benchmark for a performer whose surprise appearances and ability to make an immediate impression have long been part of his presentation.
Royal Rumble Is an Ambitious but Meaningful Goal
Next year’s Royal Rumble is scheduled to take place at State Farm Stadium in Arizona, although WWE has not yet confirmed the exact date of the premium live event. Reports have suggested February 7 as a possible date. For Cardona, being ready for that show would mean returning on one of WWE’s largest stages rather than quietly re-entering the roster on a routine television episode.
The Royal Rumble match is also a fitting place for Cardona given his own history with the annual event. Earlier this year, he appeared in the men’s Royal Rumble match for the first time in more than a decade. His previous participation had come in 2015, making the appearance a notable milestone in itself.
That return did not last long in the match. Cardona was eliminated quickly by Oba Femi, but the moment still placed him back in one of WWE’s most high-profile match environments. A return at the next Rumble would give Cardona an opportunity to build on that reintroduction, provided his recovery remains on track and WWE has a place for him in the event.
The Rumble’s format is especially useful for a returning competitor. It allows WWE to create a major crowd reaction through an entrance, while also giving a performer a route back into active storylines without immediately requiring a lengthy singles match. That does not mean Cardona is guaranteed a spot, particularly while his medical outlook remains uncertain. It does, however, explain why the event is a sensible personal target.
Cardona Keeps His Humor Intact
Even while discussing a serious injury and surgery, Cardona approached the subject with the kind of humor that has remained a recognizable part of his public persona. He joked that his physique was responsible for the triceps tearing away from the elbow.
“It’s the tricep. I was just too muscular that it just ripped right off my elbow,” Cardona joked.
The line offered a lighthearted take on what was otherwise a difficult development. Major injuries are disruptive in any sport, but they can be especially frustrating in professional wrestling, where momentum often depends on visibility, consistency, and the ability to capitalize when television time begins to increase.
Cardona had appeared to be doing exactly that before the injury. His work on SmackDown had included a segment and a match involving GUNTHER. The interaction stemmed from GUNTHER ridiculing Cardona’s wife, Chelsea Green, who is also a WWE star. That personal element helped give the program added texture, placing Cardona in a situation where he had a clear reason to respond rather than merely stepping into a match without a larger issue behind it.
With GUNTHER’s stature and presence, any program involving him carries weight. For Cardona, the chance to share television with the Austrian star suggested that WWE was willing to put him in a more visible setting. The timing of the torn triceps therefore could hardly have been worse. Instead of continuing to build from that exposure, Cardona was forced into surgery and a lengthy rehabilitation process.
A Setback During a Crucial Opportunity
Cardona’s career has been defined by resilience and reinvention, and his current situation demands another test of both. The immediate focus is understandably physical: healing the repaired triceps, regaining strength, restoring range of motion, and eventually preparing the arm for the demands of WWE competition. But a return also has a professional component. Whenever Cardona is cleared, he will need to re-establish his momentum in a fast-moving WWE environment.
That is why a Royal Rumble return, if achievable, would be valuable. The event begins the road toward WrestleMania and routinely reshapes WWE’s landscape through surprise entrants, eliminations, rivalries, and championship implications. A healthy Cardona arriving in Arizona could instantly remind viewers where his momentum was interrupted and open the door to renewed direction on either major brand.
For now, though, Cardona’s own wording is important. He described the Rumble as a possibility rather than a promise. “Who knows?” is a fair assessment when recovery from surgery is involved. Timelines can change based on medical evaluations, conditioning, and how the repaired muscle responds as training intensifies. The goal is aggressive, but it is still only a goal.
There is also no confirmed indication of what WWE’s plans for Cardona will be once he is able to return. The previous conflict involving GUNTHER and Chelsea Green provides a recent point of reference, but there has been no announcement that the rivalry will resume. Similarly, there is no guarantee that Cardona’s next appearance will happen in the Royal Rumble match itself. His comments simply establish the event as the date he is aiming toward.
What Comes Next for Cardona
The coming months will determine whether Cardona can beat the expectation set by his surgeons and reach the Royal Rumble in time. His public update shows that he is already looking beyond the operation and toward the competitive opportunities waiting on the other side of recovery.
In the meantime, the injury pauses a run that had gained attention through his involvement with GUNTHER and the connection to Chelsea Green. Cardona had returned to the men’s Royal Rumble this year after more than a decade away from the match, only to be eliminated by Oba Femi. Now he is targeting an even more consequential return to the same event next year.
Whether that happens in February at State Farm Stadium remains uncertain until his rehabilitation progresses and WWE confirms its plans. What is clear is that Cardona is approaching the recovery with a specific destination in mind. If he can make that timeline, the Royal Rumble could provide the ideal stage for the next chapter of his WWE run.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.