Ilja Dragunov Defends Brock Lesnar No-Selling His Chops at WWE Royal Rumble

TLDR

Ilja Dragunov defended his Royal Rumble 2026 spot with Brock Lesnar, where Lesnar no-sold his chops and eliminated him quickly, stating he was "absolutely stunned" to go "toe-to-toe" with Lesnar and viewed it as expressing his identity as someone who steps up to anyone. Dragunov revealed he had no prior knowledge of how Lesnar would react, explaining that many things happen organically in the ring, and he considers the moment "a medal towards myself" for bringing the fight to Lesnar despite the outcome. Several wrestlers backstage reportedly reacted negatively to fan praise of the spot, but Dragunov sees it as proof of his willingness to face the biggest names regardless of how it ends.