{"id":56249,"date":"2025-10-20T22:27:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-21T02:27:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/sin-categoria\/dragunov-us-champion-on-smackdown-rhodes-dq-and-more-wwe-surprises\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T22:27:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-21T02:27:44","slug":"dragunov-us-champion-on-smackdown-rhodes-dq-and-more-wwe-surprises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wwe\/dragunov-us-champion-on-smackdown-rhodes-dq-and-more-wwe-surprises\/","title":{"rendered":"Dragunov US Champion on SmackDown: Rhodes DQ and more WWE surprises"},"content":{"rendered":"The last episode of &#8220;SmackDown&#8221; presented a show with ups and downs, although it left memorable moments. Despite not reaching the intensity of the previous week, the program crowned a new champion and developed key rivalries.\n\n<h2>Ilja Dragunov Conquers the United States Championship<\/h2>\n\nIlja Dragunov&#8217;s return to WWE action was triumphant. Dragunov, after recovering from an ACL injury, answered the open challenge for Sami Zayn&#8217;s United States Championship. In an electrifying match, Dragunov prevailed, taking the title.\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"false\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">This week&#8217;s &#8220;SmackDown&#8221; felt more like a valley compared to the peak of last week. Not every show can be a home run, but we did see a new champion crowned, as returning Ilja Dragunov defeated Sami Zayn for the WWE United States Championship. Cody Rhodes showed a much more aggressive side, fed up with Drew McIntyre&#8217;s antics. An impromptu Undisputed title match broke out after Jacob Fatu was attacked backstage, which ended with Rhodes losing by disqualification after hitting McIntyre with his title belt. Could this have been a moment to allow McIntyre gain the victory and the championship amid Cody&#8217;s emotional rage and resulting carelessness?<\/p>\u2014 WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WrestleTalk_TV\/status\/1979365418679578639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 22, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;SmackDown&#8221; Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss defeated Zaria and Sol Ruca<\/li><li>Ilja Dragunov defeated Sami Zayn to become the new US champion<\/li><li>Motor City Machine Guns defeated Los Garza<\/li><li>Drew McIntyre defeated Cody Rhodes by disqualification<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n<h2>Cody Rhodes: A New Dark Side?<\/h2>\n\nCody Rhodes showed a more aggressive side, using the championship as a weapon against Drew McIntyre. This attitude could hint at a character change towards the &#8220;heel&#8221; side. However, with John Cena retiring in December, Rhodes could take on a leading role as the face of WWE, which makes a complete character change unlikely in the near future.\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"false\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">We saw a more aggressive side of Rhodes &#8212; dark colors, using the championship as a weapon against McIntyre &#8212; though it&#8217;s likely because he is fed up with McIntyre&#8217;s antics. But it was also a small glimpse into what a heel Rhodes could look like &#8212; a possibility always on the minds of some WWE fans. But that seems unlikely at the moment since Rhodes is in line to take over all of the responsibilities as the face of the WWE with John Cena retiring in December. Though I can definitely see different sides of his character, I don&#8217;t see him becoming a full-fledged heel in the near future.<\/p>\u2014 WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WrestleTalk_TV\/status\/1979366878628704283?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 22, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other Highlights and Rivalries<\/h2>\n\n\nThe rivalry between McIntyre and Rhodes remains unresolved, and a number one contender was not determined on &#8220;SmackDown.&#8221; Jacob Fatu suffered a brutal attack backstage, preventing him from competing in the match for the contender spot.\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"false\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">There&#8217;s unresolved beef between McIntyre and Rhodes, and a No. 1 contender wasn&#8217;t determined on &#8220;SmackDown.&#8221; Fatu had trussing pushed onto him in a gruesome scene that saw him on the floor backstage bleeding from the mouth with teeth knocked out, unable to compete in the No. 1 contendership match. Fatu has been strong in his interactions with Rhodes and McIntyre, but if reports about Fatu being injured are true, then he can definitely step right back into the title picture upon his return.<\/p>\u2014 WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WrestleTalk_TV\/status\/1979362645741297878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 22, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\nThe United States Championship match between Zayn and Dragunov was a high-quality encounter. Solo Sikoa interfered, distracting Zayn and allowing Dragunov to connect his Torpedo Moscow and H-Bomb to win the title. This match could lead to future rivalries, including a possible confrontation between Zayn and Sikoa, and the involvement of The MFTs.\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"false\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Dragunov returned to WWE action for the first time since suffering a torn ACL over a year ago. He answered Sami Zayn&#8217;s U.S. Title Open Challenge call and it was a terrific match. Solo Sikoa made his presence felt during the match and distracted Zayn just enough for Dragunov to capitalize and hit a Torpedo Moscow followed by an H-Bomb to win the U.S. Championship. This match served a lot of great purposes. We got the element of surprise, not only because of Dragunov&#8217;s return, but his title victory leads nicely into an eventual Zayn vs. Sikoa and the MFTs &#8212; who attacked both Zayn and Dragunov postmatch. Zayn vs. Sikoa is a rivalry that doesn&#8217;t necessarily need a championship on the line. Rey Fenix tried to come to aid Zayn and Dragunov, but he was flattened by Tama Tonga. This set of events might have planted the seed for the MFTs against this collection of wrestlers they have attacked upon their return &#8212; Zayn, Dragunov, Fenix, Shinsuke Nakamura and one more? The Wyatt Sicks are also in the mix, which gives the MFTs no shortage of opponents, especially for Survivor Series: WarGames on Nov. 29.<\/p>\u2014 WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WrestleTalk_TV\/status\/1979356090862088434?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 22, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\nSami Zayn once again demonstrated his ability to deliver quality matches against any opponent.\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"false\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Zayn once again proved that he can put on a quality match with any opponent, whether it&#8217;s a legend, high flyer, technician or a Superstar returning from injury. He did all of the above during his U.S. Open Title Challenge run.<\/p>\u2014 WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WrestleTalk_TV\/status\/1979355594453561364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 22, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\nBlake Monroe was present in the audience observing Sol Ruca, whom she will soon challenge for the NXT women&#8217;s title. The match between Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss against Zaria and Sol Ruca felt a bit rushed, detracting from the expected NXT title match.\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"false\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Blake Monroe was in the crowd watching Sol Ruca, who she will challenge soon for the NXT Women&#8217;s Title, pairing with Zaria in a defeat against Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. It felt like a letdown seeing this match happen so soon, with the focal point being the NXT Women&#8217;s Title match; not because I&#8217;m not looking forward to that match, but because I thought we might get more struggle and resilience from Ruca and Zaria before they finally got their title shot. This felt a little rushed.<\/p>\u2014 WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WrestleTalk_TV\/status\/1979345145695707569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">June 22, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The last episode of &#8220;SmackDown&#8221; presented a show with ups and downs, although it left memorable moments. Despite not reaching the intensity of the previous week, the program crowned a new champion and developed key rivalries. Ilja Dragunov Conquers the United States Championship Ilja Dragunov&#8217;s return to WWE action was triumphant. Dragunov, after recovering from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":56250,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[195,9934,9256,191],"class_list":{"0":"post-56249","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-wwe","8":"tag-cody-rhodes","9":"tag-ilja-dragunov","10":"tag-smackdown","11":"tag-wwe"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56250"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alofokedeportes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}