WWE Superstars go through a lot, and sometimes an injury will take someone out of action for a good stretch of time. That time on the bench finally ended for Ilja Dragunov this week.
WWE SmackDown went down at the SAP Center in San Jose, California on October 17. It was quite a show, and we also saw a much-needed return.
Sami Zayn came out to defend his United States Title in an Open Challenge match this week. This came after he told General Manager Nick Aldis that he was going to defend the title, even if he didnt have a spot on the card.
The Miz came out to say how sick he was of Open Challenges, and then Carmelo Hayes ran him off. This was returning the favor for what Miz did to Melo last week. Then Ilja Dragunovs music hit.
Ilja Dragunov made his way to the ring and the man from Moscow, Russia, received a very good ovation upon his return. He has been out of action for nearly a year with a year injury, and this return was a long time coming.
Before his return to WWE television tonight, Ilja Dragunovs last two matches saw him come up short in key opportunities. He competed in a fatal four-way match on RAW to become the number one contender for the Intercontinental Title but was defeated by Jey Uso. Later that month, Dragunov challenged Gunther for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at a live event, but he was unable to capture the title.
Ilja Dragunov was a big force in NXT, and he was gaining his footing on the main roster prior to his injury hiatus. Now that is past him, only time will tell what is next for him.
Whats your take on Ilja Dragunov returning to WWE? Will he make it to the top of the roster? Let us know what you think in the comments section!
