Ilja Dragunov wins NXT Championship at No Mercy

NXT has entered into the Ilja Dragunov era.

The NXT Championship changed hands with Dragunov defeating Carmelo Hayes at No Mercy on Saturday night. Dragunov pinned Hayes after delivering a super H-Bomb from the top rope. Dragunov then showed respect to Hayes following the intense and hard-hitting match. He helped Hayes to his feet and the two embraced after Dragunov offered a handshake.

Hayes’ reign as NXT Champion lasted nearly six months. He won the title from Bron Breakker this April.

This was Dragunov’s second time challenging Hayes for the championship. At Great American Bash, Dragunov was unsuccessful in his first attempt to defeat Hayes. Dragunov blamed Trick Williams for that loss.

Williams wasn’t at ringside for Hayes vs. Dragunov at No Mercy. Earlier in the show, Williams won the NXT North American Championship by defeating Dominik Mysterio. During a backstage segment after losing to Dragunov, Hayes appeared to briefly have his eyes on Williams’ North American title belt.

Dragunov became the number one contender to the NXT Championship with a victory over Wes Lee on NXT earlier this month.

When Dragunov was in NXT UK, he held the NXT United Kingdom Championship one time. This is his first reign as NXT Champion.

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Joseph Currier
Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.