Last time in action: Dragunov defeated Axiom (SD, Nov. 14), McDonagh lost a six-man tag match (Raw, Nov. 17)
Ilja Dragunov came out to take on another opponent in an open challenge for the United States Championship. The call was answered by JD McDonagh. These two have fought many times on the indies and in WWE, so there was no love lost.
Dragunov seemed to have the upper hand at first thanks to his striking ability, but McDonagh used some dirty tactics to take control heading into the break.
This was a hard-hitting fight that made both men look like tough competitors. Dragunov was bleeding a little, and McDonagh’s chest was beet red from strikes.
While the former 205 Live regular put up a great fight, this was not his night to win singles gold. After a long back-and-forth fight, Dragunov won clean with his finisher. Like every Dragunov open challenge, this is one you need to see for yourself.
Result: Dragunov defeated McDonagh
Notable Moments and Observations
