In a new interview with Fightful, Ilja Dragunov spoke about a wide range of topics including Carmelo Hayes ahead of their WWE NXT Title match at tonight’s No Mercy PLE.
They wrestled each other for the first time at the Great American Bash premium live event on July 30, 2023, where Hayes won. He earned another chance to wrestle Hayes for the NXT Championship on the September 12 episode of NXT television.
“I think I bring out a lot of different things out of a lot of people because what I do in the ring is so entirely different compared to a lot of other different performers next to me. When I step into this ring will certainly feel something, because I feel something. Because as soon as I step into this ring everything is real to me, even before this. Everything is real to me. When I step in, I’m coming for a fight. I’m coming into break absolutely everything. The entire passion that I carry around with myself that everybody feels. Yeah, I bring different sides out of people because you need a lot to get me down. I’m not going to make it easy for you.”
Dragunov talked about how Hayes brings out another side in him.
“Most definitely. You look at the struggle that was there, you look at the entire back and forth between us—most definitely. Because he’s the champ. He needs to bring out different sides of different people. It is absolutely necessary. If you can’t do that, you shouldn’t be champion. He’s gotta prove himself towards me. He did, I think. The people were absolutely excited to see that match that you can just hear the noise in the arena. There is something that people, I think, absolutely remember.”
