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Ilja Dragunov is no longer the NXT Champion. The Mad Dragon lost to Trick Williams in Week One of the NXT Spring Breakin' event. Williams will start his first reign as the NXT Champion, while Dragunov lost the title after 206 days, as he became the champion in September of last year at the No Mercy event.
The 30-year-old star faced Trick Williams for a fifth time in singles action but failed to defend his title in what could be his final match on the white and gold brand. Ilja Dragunov has a 3-2 record against Whoop That Trick.
With the WWE Draft set to take place on the April 26, 2024, episode of SmackDown, and the April 29, 2024, episode of RAW, Ilja Dragunov could make the move from the white and gold brand to one of the two top brands. Keeping that in mind, let's take a look at four possible directions for The Mad Dragon following NXT.
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#4. Teaming up with Carmelo Hayes and challenging for the tag team titles on the main roster
Like Ilja Dragunov, Carmelo Hayes could move to the main roster during the WWE Draft 2024. Both young stars have great potential and it would make sense for either RAW or SmackDown to pick them.
If this happens, Dragunov and Hayes could create their own team and send a strong message to the tag team division by challenging either Awesome Truth on RAW or A-Town Down Under on SmackDown for the World Tag Team Championship and the WWE Tag Team Championship, respectively.
#3. Joining the Imperium
Gunther made his return on the latest episode of RAW and declared himself for the King of the Ring tournament this year. At the same time, Ludwig Kaiser attacked Giovanni Vinci, an assault that seemingly had The Ring General's approval.
With that in mind, Vinci is expected to leave the Imperium, so fans could see Ilja Dragunov taking his place and joining the faction. This way, The Mad Dragon could gain some momentum after the WWE Draft without the pressure to make an impression right away.
#2. Joining The Judgment Day
Like the Imperium, The Judgment Day has some internal issues to deal with at the moment. More specifically, the relationship between Damian Priest and the duo of Dominik Mysterio and JD McDonagh seems to have been trembling as fans witnessed on the latest episode of RAW.
With Rhea Ripley currently out of action due to an injury, Priest seems to have been leading the faction, but The Archer of Infamy has repeatedly called out both young stars, and it is obvious that he is not on the same page with them. Thus, it would not come as a surprise if Dirty Dom and The Irish Ace left The Judgment Day soon, with Ilja Dragunov replacing them.
#1. Challenging for a mid-card championship
If Ilja Dragunov is to pursue a singles run on the main roster, this should include challenging for one of the mid-card championships, namely the Intercontinental Championship or the United States Championship.
Going by that narrative, WWE will provide The Mad Dragon with a massive push and will allow him to make a statement right away. Talking about champions, Sami Zayn became the Intercontinental Champion after defeating Gunther at WrestleMania XL, while Logan Paul remains the United States Champion after claiming the title back in November 2023. So, the former NXT Champion could challenge either of the two champions if he gets drafted to the main roster.
