Ilja Dragunov On Carmelo Hayes: He Has A Certain Aura About Him

Whether it was at Great American Bash, No Mercy, or Halloween Havoc, Ilja Dragunov wasn’t surprised of the chemistry he had with Carmelo Hayes. The two have only faced once since those matches in 2023, which was just a three minute draw on WWE Speed, but it’s a match that very well could take place as part of Dragunov’s US Title Open Challenges.

When asked by Denise Salcedo if he was surprised about his chemistry with Hayes, Dragunov knew they were going to create magic and give the fans memorable moments. The two did just that as their trilogy stands the test of time and is some of both men’s best work in NXT.

“I’ve already mentioned in interviews how much of a special talent Carmelo Hayes is,” Dragunov said. “I remember the first time I met him was back when I wrestled Gunther and I won the NXT UK Championship… He was probably in the finals of the breakout tournament and you could already feel at that moment that he has a certain aura about him.”

Dragunov continued, “Only a few people have a certain aura about them right at the start. The way he progressed, the way he made a name for himself, the way he presented himself through all of his performances, he was a person I wanted to wrestle for a long time.”

Since winning the United States Championship on October 17, Dragunov has gone on to successfully defend his title five times. While Hayes has not yet challenged him for the belt, that would make for an extremely interesting matchup as 2025 comes to a close.