WWE has confirmed that United States Champion Ilja Dragunov will defend his title on Friday Night SmackDown in an open challenge, adding a major title match to tonightâ€s episode.
The announcement was made in a video posted to WWEâ€s official social media accounts just hours before showtime. In the clip, Dragunov addressed fans directly and made it clear that he plans to continue the proud tradition of open challenges. “It is my duty to keep the legacy of the open challenges alive.â€
WWE promoted the video with a caption that teased who might step up to face him, writing: “New United States Champion @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR is looking for a fight, who will step up TONIGHT on #SmackDown?â€
Dragunovâ€s open challenge joins a lineup that already includes Tiffany Stratton vs. Kiana James and Fraxiom vs. #DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano). The show airs live from the Mullett Arena in Tempe, Arizona, starting at 8 PM ET on the USA Network, with international streaming available on Netflix.
Who do you think will answer Ilja Dragunovâ€s open challenge tonight on SmackDown? Let us know your predictions in the comments.
Be sure to tune in live and follow along with Ringside News for full play-by-play coverage over in our SmackDown results section.
Who do you want to see answer Dragunovâ€s open challenge tonight? Could this be the start of something epic—or the beginning of the end for the new champ? Let us know in the comments.
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