Dragunov wins US title on SmackDown, ends Zayn's reign

Ilja Dragunov returned to WWE television on October 17, answering Sami Zayn's United States Championship open challenge on Friday Night SmackDown in San Jose, Calif., and defeated Zayn to capture the U.S. title, marking his first main-roster championship since moving up from NXT. The match ended after Dragunov hit a Torpedo Moscow and his finishing HBomb for the pin, and the newly crowned champion was immediately confronted by members of the MFT faction.

The match began after The Miz was prevented from answering Zayn's challenge when another competitor attacked him, clearing the way for Dragunov's surprise appearance. The bout featured a hard-hitting exchange and a moment late when Solo Sikoa appeared on the entrance ramp, distracting Zayn as he prepared to deliver his Helluva Kick. That hesitation allowed Dragunov to recover and secure the victory. Zayn's reign ended at roughly seven weeks, during which he had defended the title repeatedly through open-challenge matches.

After the match, MFT entered the ring and attacked both Zayn and Dragunov. Rey Fenix attempted to intervene but was overpowered. The segment culminated with a video appearance by a faction aligned with Bray...