A WWE Superstar has reportedly changed their look ahead of their rumored return. Tonight’s episode of WWE SmackDown will air live from California and is shaping up to be an exciting show.
It was reported earlier today by BodySlam that Ilja Dragunov will be making his return from injury during tonight’s edition of the blue brand. Dragunov will reportedly be accepting Sami Zayn’s Open Challenge for the United States Championship during tonight’s show.
According to a new report from Fightful Select, Dragunov has changed his look ahead of his return. Backstage sources informed Fightful that the former champion is “absolutely jacked” and is also sporting a new neck tattoo.
The Mad Dragon suffered a torn ACL during a singles match against Gunther at a WWE Live Event in September 2024. Gunther has been absent from television since losing the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk at SummerSlam 2025.
Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract shortly after Punk’s victory at SummerSlam to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Punk won a Triple Threat match this past Monday night on RAW to become the number one contender for the title. However, The Vision betrayed Seth Rollins to close the show, and there are rumors that the 39-year-old is dealing with an injury.
Ilja Dragunov comments on joining WWE’s main roster
WWE Superstar Ilja Dragunov discussed the differences between NXT and the main roster last year.
In an interview with the Daily Star, the 32-year-old noted that the main roster was a level up from NXT but was not a difficult transition for him. He also stated that the job was still the same despite the environment changing around him.
“I think the transition was just like everything just gets bigger, you know? First of all, for me, it always feels like, yeah, the job stays the same, but the environment changes. So, that’s what I mean when I say everything gets bigger – you just got all those big arenas. It is a bit, of course, bigger than compared to NXT. Before that, you really realize that just audience-wise, but the job stays the same. I mean, it’s definitely a higher pressure level because this is like the top of the top of the top, and now you got to really step up your game even more,” said Dragunov. [H/T – WrestlingInc.]
It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Ilja Dragunov in WWE moving forward.
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