Sami Zayn Reportedly Made The Call To Drop The United States Championship To Ilja Dragunov

Action speaks louder than words, and Sami Zayn’s move to drop his WWE United States Championship to Ilja Dragunov on Friday Night SmackDown last week speaks volumes about his character and his commitment towards WWE. He lost his title to Ilja Dragunov after defending it for 48 days. Reports have emerged that Sami Zayn himself made the call to drop his title to him as he was making his WWE return.

Sami Zayn’s move was a star-making moment for Ilja Dragunov and a big shock for WWE fans. Ilja Dragunov, who returned to WWE after a significant injury layoff, ended Sami Zayn’s short but highly praised title reign. Sami Zayn elevated the title by defending it week after week and consistently delivering quality matches.

Now the US Champion, @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR is ready to unleash chaos on SmackDown! 😤 pic.twitter.com/g2d6FuWlar
— WWE (@WWE) October 23, 2025

The move to drop the title to Ilja Dragunov was made to give an immediate boost upon his comeback. Sami Zayn recognized the former NXT Champion’s immense talent and sheer intensity, viewing him as the perfect candidate to pass on the US title. Ilja Dragunov will inject new life into the United States title.

Also Read: Seth Rollins’ Injury: Is This WWE’s Attempt to Write Off Seth Rollins?

Solo Sikoa’s Untimely Distraction Cost Sami Zayn The Title

The storied rivalry between Solo Sikoa and Sami Zayn seems to be never-ending. They have been at each other’s throats since the Bloodline was formed. Sami Zayn defeated Solo Sikoa to win the United States Championship and has been defending his title till he faced Ilja Dragunov. Sami Zayn was about to secure victory over Ilja Dragunov, but Solo Sikoa entered the arena, and the distraction cost him the title.

.@UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR has been waiting for this moment. pic.twitter.com/9dAMyXgmBR
— WWE (@WWE) October 19, 2025

Ilja Dragunov couldn’t celebrate his victory as Solo Sikoa and his MFT laid waste to him and Sami Zayn. This is the second time Solo Sikoa has interrupted the United States Championship match. Sami Zayn was defending his title against Shinsuke Nakamura when Solo Sikoa and MFT interrupted the match and attacked both Sami Zayn and Shinsuke Nakamura.

This was Solo Sikoa’s second attack on Sami Zayn in two weeks. These attacks will reignite the rivalry between these two, and we might see them colliding again in the coming weeks.

Image Credit: WWE.com

Friday Night SmackDown

Ilja Dragunov

Sami Zayn

Sami Zayn vs. Ilja Dragunov

WWE

WWE SmackDown

WWE United States Championship

Ashish Negi

nfl

wrestling

I am Ashish Negi, and I work as a WWE and NFL writer at The Playoffs. I have 5 years of experience in content writing, and I have written in different domains like Real Estate, but I found my love while writing in sports. I love watching sports and have been a fan of WWE and cricket. I got an opportunity to write full-time on WWE and NFL here, so following the footstep of my hero John Cena, I turn heel on my last company