45-year-old star to answer Ilja Dragunov’s open challenge and become the new US Champion? Exploring the possibility

Ilja Dragunov is the reigning WWE United States Champion. He won the title by defeating Sami Zayn on the October 17 episode of SmackDown and has held it since then. That said, it now appears that Dragunov's reign might be in jeopardy.

Dragunov made his main roster debut last year and was featured on RAW. However, he sustained an injury, keeping him out of action for a year. Last month, the former NXT star made his return on the blue brand, answering Zayn's open challenge for the US Title and subsequently beating him for the gold. He has had a dominant run thus far, but Dolph Ziggler could be a huge threat to his reign.

After winning his first championship on the main roster, Ilja Dragunov has continued the United States Championship Open Challenge. He has successfully defended the title every week against top stars on the men's roster on SmackDown. However, he might lose to a man who has held the coveted gold in the past, Dolph Ziggler.

Ziggler made his WWE return on the latest episode of the red brand and faced Solo Sikoa in the first round of John Cena's Last Time is Now Tournament. Sadly, he was unable to advance to the next round, as he was pinned by Sikoa. However, he delivered a stellar performance and could be brought back for another massive program.

In a jaw-dropping twist, the 45-year-old veteran star might answer Ilja Dragunov's open challenge for the United States Championship on the blue brand and pull off a surprising victory.

Over the years, Dolph Ziggler has established himself as an opportunist in the Stamford-based promotion. If he wins the US Title, he will likely become a member of the SmackDown brand till he remains champion. Fans love The Showoff and would be interested in seeing him face the current crop of talents on the brand.

Ziggler could elevate the title's prestige and deliver some stellar matches during his potential title reign. He could attract more fans to SmackDown amid concerns about the program's quality in recent months compared to RAW. However, this angle is speculative, and only time will tell what's next for The Showoff.

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A wrestling veteran called out Ilja Dragunov for wrestling dangerously

Ilja Dragunov defended his United States Championship against Nathan Frazer on the October 31 episode of SmackDown. During the match, Dragunov struck Frazer with a powerful German Suplex outside the ring.

It didn't stop there, as Ilja Dragunov delivered another German Suplex from the top rope when Nathan Frazer was seemingly unprepared. The former NXT Tag Team Champion's head awkwardly hit the mat, raising concerns about his well-being. Wrestling veteran Stevie Richards also took notice of this incident.

On The Stevie Richards Show, the wrestling veteran compared The Mad Dragon's German Suplex on the outside to the one Ridge Holland delivered to Big E in 2022.

"This here gives me vibes of Ridge Holland and Big E. Why are you giving any suplexes like this on the floor? Why? And he says nothing personal before he does it," Richards said.

That said, it remains to be seen what plans WWE has in store for the Russian superstar going forward.