Ilja Dragunov remains a centerpiece of the blue brand’s high-workrate division. He opened the 2026 campaign with a victory over Kit Wilson on Main Event, showing the main roster the full weight of his intensity. However, his tenure on SmackDown has been a grueling gauntlet against elite competition.

After navigating narrow singles defeats and securing a statement win over The Miz in late January, Dragunov’s resilience was tested in the 2026 Royal Rumble, where he battled for over 11 minutes. His February schedule began with a massive 10-man tag team encounter on the February 13th edition of SmackDown. Teaming with Apollo Crews and Carmelo Hayes against The MFTs, Dragunov logged another high-stamina performance (14:30), but ultimately fell to the Bloodline’s tactical numbers game. Despite the setback, the “Mad Dragon” enters mid-February with match-time metrics that prove he can go the distance with any elite competitor in the company.