Shawn Michaels to strip champion of their title? - 4 things that can happen in WWE NXT following Ilja Dragunov's injury

WWE NXT aired last night on the USA Network. The show, pre-taped last week, featured several big-time bouts. The Men's Breakout Tournament continued, Nikkita Lyons had her first singles match post-injury, and Dragon Lee defended the North American Championship.

One of the more intriguing moments came when SmackDown's Ridge Holland interrupted a promo by Ilja Dragunov. He then cut an impassioned promo about wanting to start over, correct his reputation, and win the NXT Championship.

This led to Ilja and Ridge clashing in the main event of the night. At one point, a move seemingly went wrong and Ilja Dragunov was injured. The match was stopped and both referees and medical personnel came to Ilja's aid.

While this injury was strictly part of a storyline and not legitimate, many are still wondering where this may lead. This article will look at four key things that could happen following Dragunov's kayfabe injury on NXT.

Below are four things that can happen in WWE NXT following Ilja Dragunov's injury.

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#4. His match with Trick Williams could be postponed

The first week of 2024 is set to be a big one for WWE. Monday Night RAW, NXT, and Friday Night SmackDown will all present special episodes. The red brand is RAW Day 1, the blue brand's offering will be SmackDown New Year's Revolution, and the developmental brand's will be NXT New Year's Evil.

A few major matches have been booked for New Year's Evil 2024. This includes Blair Davenport vs. Lyra Valkyria and Trick Williams challenging Ilja Dragunov for the NXT Championship. Unfortunately, the latter may no longer be taking place.

Following the unfortunate storyline injury to Ilja, WWE may decide to postpone the advertised title match to a future date. For example, Trick and Ilja could clash at Vengeance Day in February.

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#3. Shawn Michaels could strip Ilja Dragunov of the NXT Championship

Shawn Michaels

WWE NXT was once the baby of Triple H. The Game oversaw the developmental system and helped run the-then black & gold brand. Eventually, NXT received an overhaul of sorts and Shawn Michaels took the lead, first during the 2.0 era and now during the white & gold era.

Shawn doesn't just have control over the direction of NXT behind the scenes, as he also plays an on-screen authority figure. He hasn't been given an official title as WWE NXT General Manager, but he's still the boss. As such, he's often tasked with making major announcements, for better or worse.

One of the worse examples may be on the way. There's a chance that the Hall of Famer will reveal that Ilja will be unable to defend his title. As a result, Shawn Michaels could strip Dragunov of the coveted NXT Championship and figure out a way to crown a new champion moving forward.

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#2. Ilja could make an epic WWE return seeking revenge

Ilja Dragunov is a bad, bad dude. He is by far one of the toughest professional wrestlers both in and outside of WWE. Ilja thrives off experiencing pain and dishing pain out, oftentimes in equal measure.

As a result, The Mad Dragon being attacked and carried away on a stretch is a sight most fans aren't used to. In fact, WWE fans often say a wrestler is asking for pain or even death if they disrespect Dragunov. Needless to say, this could be especially true for Ridge Holland.

While Ridge showed empathy for what happened, Dragunov may return to television with revenge in mind. The hard hitting Russian could pulverize the British superstar and show the former Brawling Brutes member what a brawling brute really is.

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#1. It could be revealed that Carmelo Hayes paid Ridge Holland off to hurt Ilja

Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo Hayes has been up to no good. At least, that's what many WWE fans believe. The former NXT Champion has been accused of having attacked Trick Williams backstage and many believe he's jealous of his friend's success.

While his intentions aren't clear, many also believe he will do anything to win the NXT Championship and prevent Trick from getting the gold first. As a result, it may come to light that Ridge Holland injurying Ilja Dragunov wasn't an accident. Instead, Carmelo may be behind it.

There's a chance that Carmelo Hayes has paid off Ridge Holland to injure the NXT Champion and play it off as an accident. By doing so, it could prevent the New Year's Evil title match. This thus gives Hayes more of an opportunity to somehow surpass Trick and get to the gold before Williams can potentially win it.