New Champion Crowned on WWE SmackDown
Tonight’s, October 17, 2025, edition of WWE SmackDown has officially concluded, and with it, we now have a brand-new United States Champion! Sami Zayn once again issued one of his exciting Open Challenges, which was promptly answered by an unexpected contender, Ilja Dragunov!
Dragunov defeated Zayn in a great, hard-fought, and thrilling 20-minute match to become the new U.S. Champion. This victory adds another significant accolade to his impressive career, joining his previous achievements as both the former NXT Champion and NXT UK Champion.
Solo Sikoa, another former U.S. Champion who Zayn defeated for the title, made an appearance on the ramp near the end of the match. He successfully caught Zayn’s attention, which contributed to Dragunov securing the victory.
After the match concluded, Sikoa aggressively attacked both Sami Zayn and Ilja Dragunov, turning the situation even more intense.
