Ilja Dragunov Injured, Relinquishes NXT UK Championship

The NXT UK Championship reign of Ilja Dragunov has come to an unfortunate ending as the champ was forced to relinquish his title due to injury. According to Inside the Ropes, on the July 7th tapings of NXT UK, the champion came to the ring in a boot and announced his injury to fans.

RELATED: Multiple Top WWE Stars Aren't Being Advertised For Extreme Rules 2022While the exact extent of his injury is unclear, what we do know is that the fourth NXT UK Championship reign is now over. With his announcement, Dragunov's reign has ended at 318 days.

Dragunov's Rise to the Top

Ilja Dragunov became champion when he defeated WALTER (now known as Gunther) at NXT Takeover 36. It was one of WWE's best matches of the year and the perfect way to finish a feud between two of the sport's hardest hitting superstars. With this victory, Dragunov toppled the Imperium; he became the first wrestler to pin WALTER inside a WWE ring and ended WALTER's record-smashing, 871-day championship reign.

The NXT UK title has only seen 4 champions in its 6-year history. This has made every title change feel particularly momentous. On the flip side of this, the relinquishing of the championship is equally as significant. Competitors in NXT UK will now have the chance to add their name to a very short list of elite competitors.

What's Next for the NXT UK Championship?

While Dragunov will be sorely missed, the show must go on without him. While no other star could personify willpower and energy as Dragunov does, there are a few men who could step up to take his place. A-Kid, Mark Andrews, and Trent Seven are just a few names who could seize this opportunity to etch their names into the WWE history books.

We send out our well wishes to Ilja Dragunov and hope for a speedy recovery.

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