The WWE Universe witnessed another major surprise on Monday night as Dolph Ziggler made his long-awaited return during the latest episode of WWE Raw, entering the “Last Time Is Now” tournament.
Solo Sikoa stepped into the ring to face a mystery opponent in the opening round of the tournament, which will ultimately determine John Cena’s final career opponent at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13. After Sikoa made his entrance, anticipation built as fans waited to see who would answer the challenge — moments later, Dolph Ziggler’s entrance theme hit, drawing a massive reaction from the live crowd.
This appearance marked Ziggler’s first time back in WWE since his release on September 21, 2023, ending a near two-decade run with the company. Despite the emotional return, the former World Heavyweight Champion was unable to defeat Sikoa and advance further in the tournament.
Since departing WWE, Ziggler has been wrestling under his real name, Nic Nemeth, with TNA Wrestling, where he went on to capture the TNA World Championship as well as the TNA World Tag Team Championships alongside his brother Ryan Nemeth.
Ziggler isn’t the only familiar face returning as part of the tournament. Matt Cardona, formerly known as Zack Ryder, also made his WWE comeback on last week’s episode of SmackDown, appearing as LA Knight’s mystery opponent. Like Ziggler, Cardona is currently signed with TNA and also failed to progress in the tournament.
With major shock returns and John Cena’s final opponent yet to be decided, the “Last Time Is Now” tournament continues to build anticipation and storyline intrigue heading toward December 13.
