Real reason behind Ilja Dragunov's surprise SmackDown appearance

The real reason behind Ilja Dragunov's surprise appearance on SmackDown has been reportedly revealed. The Russian brawler made a shocking return to WWE after being absent for over a year due to an injury.

Dragunov answered Sami Zayn's U.S. Title Open Challenge and would go on to win the championship in a shocking turn of events. While the fans were taken by this surprise, this wasn't how WWE originally planned his return.

According to Bodyslam, Dragunov wasn't scheduled to come back on this date or on SmackDown. In fact, WWE had tentatively mapped out his return last month in September, and that too on RAW.

The report reveals the reason the former NXT UK champion appeared on SmackDown this week was that insiders felt the brand's roster needed a shake-up. This move ensured that his return felt more surprising, since he was on RAW before his injury, and gave a boost to the Friday Night show.

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Following his title win, WWE officially confirmed that Dragunov has been moved to the SmackDown roster.

Before this match, Ilja Dragaunov last competed in WWE in September last year, when he faced Gunther at a live event. It was in this match that he tore his ACL, leading to his absence from the promotion.

Notably, The Mad Dragon answered Zayn's Open Challenge after The Miz's attempt was thwarted by his former tag team partner Carmelo Hayes.

Ilja Dragunov posted a message after U.S. Title win

After winning the NXT UK and NXT championships, Ilja Dragunov finally has gold on the main roster.

Known for his tough style of wrestling, he looked more physically intimidating and had a message for his fans and opponents after winning the U.S. championship.

Taking to his Instagram, he posted a photo of himself with his newly won title and delivered a reminder.

"Pain shall entertain you," he wrote.

Fans will now be eager to see what's next for Ilja Dragunov as he looks to establish himself on SmackDown.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Sherjeel Malik

Real reason behind Ilja Dragunov's surprise SmackDown appearance - Reports

Ilja Dragunov posted a message after U.S. Title win