LA Knight stepped into the ring on Friday’s WWE SmackDown expecting a surprise, and the mystery around his tournament opponent was finally cleared up when Zack Ryder made his return in front of an energetic crowd. Ryder’s comeback set the tone for the night, adding a fresh spark to The Last Time is Now tournament.

Knight handled the moment with confidence. After an early back and forth, he closed out the match by landing the BFT to secure his place in the next round. The result kept his momentum strong while fans reacted loudly to Ryder’s long awaited appearance.

Triple H later acknowledged Ryder’s return, noting the significance of the moment. Although WWE has not confirmed whether Ryder has signed a new contract, brand new merchandise for him has gone live on WWE Shop which has often hinted at a deeper agreement behind the scenes.

Friday’s match marked Ryder’s first appearance on the main roster since March 2020 when he faced Bobby Lashley on Raw. He recently competed on NXT television last month against Josh Briggs, but this return to SmackDown was his biggest spotlight in years.

The tournament continued with Jey Uso scoring a victory over The Miz to move into the round of eight. WWE still has not shared the official bracket for The Last Time is Now tournament, keeping the field open to speculation.

The quarterfinal lineup is already forming with Sheamus, Rusev, Uso, and Knight moving forward. The next stage of first round matches arrives on Monday’s Raw with Gunther facing Je Von Evans and Solo Sikoa taking on a still unidentified opponent. The last pair of opening round bouts will then be held on next Friday’s SmackDown featuring Penta against Finn Balor and Bronson Reed against Carmelo Hayes.

NO WAY!!!

Zack Ryder is @RealLAKnight's mystery opponent 🤯 pic.twitter.com/pMR3E03CYu

, WWE (@WWE) November 15, 2025

You never know who might show up in The Last Time Is Now Tournament. It’s all about opportunity and @TheMattCardona proved that tonight. #SmackDown pic.twitter.com/OgdbnD5QSN

, Triple H (@TripleH) November 15, 2025