WWE Superstar Ilja Dragunov entered the 2026 Royal Rumble at the 17th spot. However, right after his entry into the match, The Mad Dragon was almost robbed but was saved by the staff’s intervention.
A fan posted a video on X, which showcased how spectators near the ramp swiped Dragunov’s coat after he had dropped it during his entrance. The footage caught the spectators passing the coat around for a bit, with happy faces, before a staff member entered the frame and strictly asked them not to do it.
Thanks for the submission!
Complying with the instructions, the spectators dropped the coat back to the spot where they had picked it up.
Watch the clip below:
It is hard to say whether the crowd was just curious and excited, or if one of them wanted to keep the coat for themselves. But it can be safely said that the former United States Champion definitely got reunited with his coat in his locker room.
Dragunov’s performance was lackluster at the 2026 Royal Rumble. He lasted only 11 minutes in the ring and didn’t secure any eliminations before being tossed outside the ring by Brock Lesnar.
Ilja Dragunov will go for the WWE United States Championship
Last week’s episode of WWE SmackDown saw Ilja Dragunov and Carmelo Hayes in a backstage segment. The Mad Dragon had previously spoken to The Miz, who told him that Melo had asked the veteran to help him in his US Championship defense.
Hayes denied being in cahoots with his former tag team partner. Dragunov said he didn’t care either way and expected a direct title shot after he defeated The Miz. Later in the episode, the Russian wrestler secured an easy win over The A-Lister.
With this, Ilja Dragunov would challenge Carmelo Hayes once again, albeit in a fair fight this time. The same story had played out when The Mad Dragon was the champion and Hayes was the challenger who suffered an unfair loss due to DIY’s interference. It would be interesting to see who holds the WWE United States Championship after their clash.
Edited by Neda Ali