A top WWE superstar made a surprise return on SmackDown and captured gold in his first match back.
Last night, Ilja Dragunov, 32, was the latest wrestler to step up to face Sami Zayn in the United States Championship Open Challenge, after over a year out of action due to injury.
The Mad Dragon came out looking bulked up with a new neck tattoo, but still delivered to the high standard fans have come to expect.
What was more of a surprise, though, was the result itself as Ilja managed to beat Sami to win the United States Title in his comeback bout.
After the intense and brutal match, the new champ shared a photo of himself holding the title belt with bruises all over his body as he reflected on his return.
He captioned the post: ‘Pain shall entertain you.’
Fans were full of praise for the match itself, hailing it as a definite contender for match of the year with just a couple of months left to go in 2025.
‘Could be my fav WWE TV match of the year. It was fantastic. Ilja isn’t just a moves guy. He makes you feel and believe every single thing that he does. He’s one of a kind,’ wrote @Cody_Iyo_Era on X.
And viewer @Molo87 added: ‘Ilja Dragunov and Sami Zayn just decided to destroy each other and casually put out a match of the year contender on a Friday night 🔥🔥’
‘Welcome back Ilja! You were sorely missed! What a war! This maybe my favorite WWE TV match this year! Hard hitting, no pulled punches, just brilliant,’ added @laknightingale.
Others pointed to the Russian star’s transformation during his injury recovery, with a more bulked-up physique and a new neck tattoo.
‘Ilja Dragunov looks different. He’s bulked and has a neck tattoo now with a different facial and hair. He looks more dangerous,’ said @imYash07.
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Meanwhile, fans are hoping Ilja – who first joined WWE in 2019 after rising to prominence on the European independent wrestling scene – continues the legacy of John Cena and Sami’s open challenges in his own early title reign.
‘Enjoyed the Sami open challenges every week I hope it continues with Ilja,’ wrote @REIGNSSECTION, while @GPort_619 added: ‘That match was absolutely fantastic. I definitely didn’t think Ilja was winning. I say continue the open challenges with him. He’s the perfect type of person to do it.’
Ilja hasn’t wrestled since a live event loss to GUNTHER in September 2024, and shortly before his injury, the former NXT UK Champion admitted he feels a responsibility to maintain his brutal style in the ring.
He exclusively told Metro: ‘There’s a certain way to my persona to carry myself, and how I compete and how I fight and how I do the things that I do, and if I can’t do them that way anymore, where is the sense, right?
‘I don’t do that for for just like I don’t know fame or being like a celebrity or whatever I just do. I do that because I can fully express myself in this business. That is my reason. Number one.’
Despite that, Ilja – who was born in Russia but raised in Berlin from the age of five – revealed he still gets scared in the ring.
He added: ‘Somehow my will and my passion and my bravery is always stronger than the fear that I have.’
WWE SmackDown airs every Friday night on Netflix.
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