Sports

Carmelo Hayes Overcomes Ilja Dragunov To Win US Title On WWE SmackDown

December 27, 2025

Story byMelo hitting a clothesline on Johnny Gargano -Samantha SchipmanSat, December 27, 2025 at 2:39 AM UTC·2 min readCarmelo Hayes won his first title on "SmackDown" when he dethroned Ilja Dragunov to become the men's United States Champion. The two were evenly matched with both men matching every aggressive move. Dragunov went for the H-Bomb, but was caught in midair with an enzuiguri. Hayes followed with a backwards cutter from the middle rope.

Carmelo Hayes Overcomes Ilja Dragunov To Win US Title On WWE SmackDown

Credit: Yahoo

Key Highlights

Dragunov was undeterred and connected with the Constantine Special to flip Hayes inside out.
He followed with a senton, but Hayes kicked out. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDragunov caught Hayes in midair when he was trying to connect with The First 48.
Hayes headbutted Dragunov off the turnbuckle.
Dragunov kicked Hayes in midair.
He superplexed Hayes off the top.

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Sources

Carmelo Hayes Overcomes Ilja Dragunov To Win US Title On WWE SmackDown

This quick summary is automatically generated using AI based on reports from multiple news sources. The content has not been reviewed or verified by humans. For complete details, accuracy, and context, please refer to the original published articles.

Carmelo Hayes Overcomes Ilja Dragunov To Win US Title On WWE SmackDown

Key Highlights

Sources

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