Ilja Dragunov made his shocking return to PROGRESS Wrestling on February 6.
At the promotion’s Chapter 128 show, he confronted the reigning PROGRESS Champion, Cara Noir.
Dragunov is the reigning NXT UK Champion; he defeated WALTER to win the gold at NXT TakeOver 36. He has wrestled at PROGRESS shows in the past, but he hasn’t worked for the promotion since the Chapter 103 show in February 2020, prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
PROGRESS issued the following announcement about Dragunov’s return:
NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov Makes Shocking Return To PROGRESS Wrestling At Chapter 128 in Manchester
Sunday 6th February 2022 (Manchester, England): Ilja Dragunov, the reigning NXT UK Champion, made his surprise return to PROGRESS Wrestling at today’s event in Manchester.
The big moment came after PROGRESS Wrestling Champion Cara Noir had faced Dean Allmark with his title on the line at ‘Chapter 128: Technique’ at the O2 Ritz in Manchester.
Dragunov snuck up on Noir from behind to remind the champion that he still has designs on the PROGRESS Wrestling Championship after being defeated by Noir in a four-way bout for the then vacant title in January 2020.
Dragunov has since then become the fourth WWE NXT UK Champion, defeating WALTER (Now known as Gunther) to end the Austrian’s record-setting 870 day reign at NXT TakeOver 36 in Orlando, Florida in August 2021.
Elsewhere on the card, Jonathan Gresham faced Chris Ridgeway for the Ring Of Honor World Championship and PROGRESS Wrestling Tag Team Champions The Smokin’ Aces faced Lykos Gym with the belts on the line. As of the time of this release, PROGRESS Wrestling Women’s Champion Gisele Shaw is in the midst of facing Rhio with the title on the line.
What will be the aftermath of Dragunov’s shock appearance in a PROGRESS Wrestling ring? The picture will no doubt become clearer leading into the next event, ‘Chapter 129: I Choo-Choo-Choose You’ on Sunday 20th February at the Electric Ballroom in London.
? SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!
THE NXT UK CHAMPION IS BACK…@UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR #ThisIsPROGRESS pic.twitter.com/eNDyOW8XEk
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) February 6, 2022
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