Update On Ilja Dragunov After Being Pulled From WWE NXT New Year's Evil

WWE NXT New Year’s Evil 2024 was set to feature NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov defending his title against Iron Survivor Challenge winner Trick Williams, but the match did not take place, with Dragunov pulled from the show.

Dragunov was controversially written off TV after ‘injuring his neck’ during a match with Ridge Holland on December 13, and an update from Haus of Wrestling states that Dragunov is ‘banged up from 2023’ and is taking longer to heal up than first hoped.

The report also states that as of now, there is no timeframe for Dragunov’s return to in-ring competition. The former NXT UK Champion missed several months in 2022 due to injury, and was forced to vacate the UK Championship. It remains to be seen how serious this current lay-off will be, and if it will require the title to be vacated once more.

At New Year’s Evil, Williams instead faced Grayson Waller in the main event of the show, with Williams’ NXT Championship shot on the line. Williams got the win after an unlikely assist from Kevin Owens, who showed up to sock Waller in the jaw.