A big title match has been added to Friday’s episode of “WWE SmackDown.” Newly minted WWE United States Champion Ilja Dragunov will make his first title defense inside Mullett Arena in Tempe. Dragunov’s opponent is unknown going into the show, as it’ll be an open challenge.
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Dragunov made his surprising return to WWE TV on last week’s edition of “SmackDown.” He answered an open challenge from Sami Zayn for the WWE United States Championship. Dragunov pulled off the win to capture his first singles title on the main roster.
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Ilja Dragunov is Back
Prior to Dragunov’s stunning return, he had been sidelined for a year due to a torn ACL. He hadn’t performed in the ring since a house show on Sept. 28, 2024, when he fell short against Gunther in a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match.
As far as his last WWE TV appearance before the injury is concerned, it was the Sept. 9, 2024 episode of “Monday Night Raw.” Dragunov lost a fatal four-way No. 1 contender match to determine a WWE Intercontinental Championship contender. That match was won by Jey Uso, who went on to defeat Bron Breakker for the gold.
Dragunov was a member of the “WWE Raw” roster before suffering his injury. Upon his return, “The Mad Dragon” is now a “Friday Night SmackDown” superstar. Fans have been speculating about who could step up to challenge Dragunov in his first title defense. A popular choice among fans is Carmelo Hayes, but he might be too busy handling business with his former tag team partner, The Miz.
Others have called for former NXT Champion Oba Femi to answer the challenge. Femi might not get such a spot for at least a little while longer, given that Dragunov’s WWE United States Championship run has just started. Femi was also a popular fan pick when Zayn still held the title.
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