8 Mega Ilja Dragunov Matches That Proved His WWE Worth

Ilja Dragunov is the latest name to part ways with WWE, with False Finish reporting that he’d chosen to let his contract expire and leave. Over the last seven years, Dragunov’s potential and quality had been readily apparent time and time again, having many show-stealing matches that proved his worth, and also proving WWE’s mistakes in not capitalizing on him.

TheSportster’s rating system will take a look across the best of the best of his work in WWE to determine his greatest matchups within the company. These ratings will be compared to those from Cagematch.net and Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

8

Ilja Dragunov Vs. Bron Breakker Vs. JD McDonagh (WWE NXT Halloween Havoc 2022)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.82

Three very different competitors in JD McDonagh, Bron Breakker, and Ilja Dragunov battled for the NXT Championship in a wildly fun triple threat match at the 2022 Halloween Havoc event.

Although Dragunov & McDonagh put in the biggest shift from an in-ring point of view, Breakker was presented expertly with his bursts of energy and power, being made to look like a beast. There were plenty of greater multi-man spots, a lot of excitement, and another strong win for Breakker as he continued to establish himself in NXT.

7

Ilja Dragunov Vs. Dijak (WWE NXT Battleground 2023)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.5/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.98

In a Last Man Standing match, Ilja Dragunov and Dijak tore the house down in a chaotic, brutal, and wild affair at NXT Battleground 2023, in one of the more hard-hitting interactions of this stipulation seen in WWE for a long time.

This match followed the David vs. Goliath formula with Dragunov needing to work from below and fight through the nasty bumps and vicious punishment that was dealt his way, which was accentuated by his magnificent selling. There were a couple of downsides, including the mid-match dialogue they shouted at one another, but the technical side of the match was great.

6

Ilja Dragunov Vs. Tommaso Ciampa (WWE SmackDown 12/12/25)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.75/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.60

In one of Ilja Dragunov’s several show-stealing United States Championship open challenges, he put on a fantastic display with Tommaso Cimapa after weeks of bad blood being built up. Their hatred for one another was felt throughout as they clashed in a stiff, gritty match that did not follow the usual WWE style.

Ciampa focused in on Dragunov’s surgically-repaired knee, providing the match with world class psychology with many big moves centred around limb work – and it was all elevated by top tier selling from Dragunpov. Both men came close to winning as the crowd bought a selection of near-falls, but it was Dragunov’s resilience that saw him escape with a cradle pinfall.

5

Ilja Dragunov Vs. Carmelo Hayes (WWE SmackDown 12/26/25)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 8.75/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 8.84

On the December 26 SmackDown episode in 2025, Ilja Dragunov’s impressive US Title reign came to an end at the hands of Carmelo Hayes in a thrilling TV matchup.

This match featured vicious chop and strikes exchanges, with the physicality ramped up massively during the contrast. Big counters, stiff kicks, and a gritty atmosphere made up this matchup, with the two men competing at a terrific pace to keep the crowd invested but to also tell the story of how hard-hitting the fight was. There were close near-falls in the latter stages before Hayes reversed a Coast-To-Coast attempt and nailed the Nothing But Net to win in a wild finish.

4

Sami Zayn Vs. Ilja Dragunov (WWE SmackDown October 17 2025)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 9.10

After months out of action, Ilja Dragunov made a surprise return on Friday Night SmackDown to answer Sami Zayn’s US Title open challenge… and he walked away the winner after a show-stealing matchup. This was presented as an authentic, hard-fought fight between two great competitors, with the ring work being remarkably hard-hitting at times (and sometimes even tough to watch with how stiff they were going).

Dragunov continued to get fired up throughout, absorbing everything Zayn threw his way, all leading to a shocking title win from the returning star. The crowd got more and more into the match as it went on, giving both competitors a lot of love.

3

Carmelo Hayes Vs. Ilja Dragunov (WWE NXT No Mercy 2023)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 4.75 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 9.15

At NXT No Mercy 2023, Carmelo Hayes & Ilja Dragunov proved to be a match made in heaven as they displayed perfect chemistry in a match that had everything – explosive moves, wild sequences, high-flying moments, vicious strikes, and more, all leading to a raucous audience eating up everything they did in their fight for the NXT Championship.

This bout had callbacks to their previous bouts, built on their existing history in NXT, and had both men going all out to try and get the job done and walk out as winner – which turned out to be Dragunov, who stood tall with the gold.

2

Gunther vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT TakeOver 36 2021)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.25/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 5.25 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 9.63

The blood feud between Gunther & Ilja Dragunov in NXT concluded with this bone-crunching matchup for the NXT UK Championship. The story followed Dragunov’s hunt to overcome the dominant beast, who at this point had remained unbeaten for years. Dragunov’s performance as a courageous, unhinged, and resilient babyface was magical, somehow overcoming the odds to beat his greatest rival.

The lack of a full crowd did impact some of the atmosphere of this matchup, and there is a point to be made about how much punishment Dragunov ultimately absorbed, but there is no denying that this is still among both men’s greatest showcases in WWE.

1

Gunther vs. Ilja Dragunov (NXT UK 10/29/20)

Overall Rating From TheSportster: 9.75/10

• Dave Meltzer Rating: 5 Stars
• Cagematch.net Rating: 9.69

The pandemic era was tough for many reasons, the main isse being the lack of a crowd to work from, damaging the atmosphere for almost every match… but not this one. Gunther (WALTER at the time) and Ilja Dragunov collided in an empty building in NXT UK, making the most of the quietness in the venue. This allowed every brutal chop, skin-on-skin impact, stiff strikes, and more all be presented as deadly and authentic.

These two heated rivals simply beat the hell out of one another in one of the most unique matches in the history of WWE. They maximised the lack of crowd reaction and turned it into something breathtaking, with their now legendary fight remaining a spectacle ever since. The storytelling and selling from both men elevated the match to major heights, with Dragunov being a made man despite his loss.