Ilja Dragunov puts WWE roster on notice after massive championship win

WWE Superstar Ilja Dragunov shared a bold message after winning the United States Championship. The Mad Dragon put the entire roster on notice with a warning to everyone.

The 32-year-old returned from injury to answer Sami Zayn's United States Championship Open Challenge after an attack from Carmelo Hayes prevented The Miz from heading into the ring and competing with the Underdog from the Underground for the title. Dragunov made the best of his advantage and defeated Zayn to win his first main roster title.

Earlier today, WWE shared a video of Ilja Dragunov speaking in a backstage interview after the match. The Russian star reflected on going through hardships for the last year or so due to injury. The former NXT Champion claimed that he put in a lot of hard work to become better, and he had the WWE United States Championship to show for his efforts.

"It's been such a long year, and nobody understands how I feel sitting on the sidelines for a year, waiting and hoping and training to come back better. Better than anybody else. More ruthless, more ambitious, fearless, more courage, all these things, and everything that I’ve accomplished over this year, this is a symbol of it. Me as the United States Champion," Dragunov said.

Ilja further issued a warning to every star thinking of challenging him for the title. Dragunov noted that each of his opponents would have to suffer excruciating pain.

"So one thing is so clear to me right now. I've got a very, very clear message to everyone who is coming for this. My dear friends, and my dear enemies, if you step with me into the ring, pain shall entertain you," Dragunov added.

You can check out his comments in the video below:

Ilja Dragunov created a unique record on WWE SmackDown with his win over Sami Zayn

Before showcasing his ability in the United States, Ilja Dragunov made a name for himself in UK NXT. He defeated WALTER (fka Gunther) at WWE NXT TakeOver: 36 to win the NXT UK Championship. He held the title for over 300 days before he was forced into vacating the gold after sustaining a serious injury.

The win over Sami Zayn last weekend helped Dragunov achieve an unprecedented feat as Ilja Dragunov became the first-ever former NXT United Kingdom Champion to win the WWE United States Championship. Only time will tell what's next for the Russian star moving forward.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit the original source with an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

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Edited by Ankit Verma