WWE United States Champion Ilja Dragunov has publicly revealed his relationship with a former WWE Superstar. “The Mad Dragon” confirmed the news on social media, ending speculation about his personal life.
Taking to Instagram, the US Champion posted a photo of himself and Jin Tala. He captioned the post โMy Loveโ in his native Russian language, confirming they are officially in a relationship.
Tala, who also wrestled under the name Leigh Laurel, was a part of the WWE system. She was assigned to the EVOLVE brand before she was let go in October as part of a revamp of the company’s developmental ranks.
Outside the ring, Dragunov was heavily linked to the American-Filipino talent. This connection became public while he was still with his ex-wife.
At one point, Dragunov was accused of cheating on his ex-wife with Tala. The former EVOLVE talent quickly and publicly denied the wild claims.
A post shared by ๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ง๐๐๐ช๐ฃ๐ค๐ซ (@unbesiegbar_dragunov)
Tala clarified the situation at the time, stating that she and Dragunov’s ex-wife are on good terms. The new Instagram post from Dragunov now makes their relationship official.
While his personal life is making news, Dragunov’s in-ring career is also demanding attention. He is the current WWE United States Champion, having captured the title on the October 17 episode of “SmackDown.”
His championship win came against Sami Zayn upon his return to the brand. Since then, Dragunov has been a dominant champion.
He has already held successful title defenses in consecutive weeks. His first defense was against Aleister Black, and his second was against Nathan Frazer.
The upcoming episode of “WWE SmackDown” this coming Friday will be jam-packed with action. The show will emanate from Greenville, South Carolina.
One of the advertised segments is the continuation of Ilja Dragunovโs US Championship Open Challenge. This follows a notable title defense last week in Salt Lake City, Utah.
In that match, Dragunov and Nathan Frazer put on a clinic. “The Mad Dragon” eventually retained the title after a grueling contest.
A post-match brouhaha ensued backstage later in the evening. The conflict involved Frazer and his tag team partner Axiom, who had a confrontation with DIY.
The fisticuffs involved Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano. The issue reportedly began due to Ciampa being upstaged by the British sensation earlier in the night.
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After the fight dwindled, the camera focused on the US Championship. Tama Tonga grabbed the belt and seemingly teased that he might be the next to go after Dragunov for the gold.
It will be interesting to see if Tama Tonga will indeed step up to Dragunov. The “US Open Challenge” continues in Greenville this Friday, and Tonga appears to be a likely challenger.
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