“Has the heart the size of Tommy Dreamer’s a**,” WWE legend Bully Ray showers massive praise on 30-year-old star after terrific match on Raw

Ilja Dragunov announced his arrival on the main roster in a fantastic way. He defeated Ricochet in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament on the latest episode of Raw. Those who were unaware who The Mad Dragon was got to experience one of the best matches of his career. Not only fans, but WWE Hall of Famer, Bubba Ray Dudley was also impressed by him.

While speaking on the Busted Open Radio podcast, Bubba Ray Dudley stated he was shocked by Ilja Dragunov‘s facial expressions and personality. He referred to him as a pit bull who was always ready to fight and never backed down. The ECW veteran said he would quickly win over the WWE Universe with his lionheart character and brutal wrestling style.

After losing his title to Trick Williams at NXT Spring Breakin’, the 30-year-old star was called up to the main roster in the recent 2024 WWE Draft. He became the newest member of Raw and a participant in the King of the Ring tournament. In his first match, he faced Ricochet in what fans considered to be one of the best matches of the night. Although The One and Only gave him a tough fight, The Mad Dragon secured the victory with a devastating H-Bomb.

Dragunov’s facials, my God. I forgot that he’s 5’5 or whatever he is, I don’t know how big Dragunov is, I thought he was a fighting monster, a pitbull. A guy that has the heart the size of Tommy Dreamer’s a**. A guy that was willing to just keep fighting and never stop. It’s Dragunov’s facials and his never say die personality that is going to win people over.

Bubba Ray Dudley on Ilja Dragunov via Busted Open Radio

With this win, Dragunov reached the quarterfinals of the tournament. He will fight Jey Uso on next week’s episode of Raw. Despite him being a new and less experienced wrestler than Jey, many fans want him to progress. This will allow them to witness another chapter of the rivalry between him and his arch-nemesis, Gunther. Only time will tell what the future holds for The Mad Dragon.

Will Ilja Dragunov be able to overcome the massive challenge in the form of Jey Uso?

The fight for the crown is getting intense on the Raw side. The tournament has its three quarterfinalists in the form of Dragunov, Jey, and Gunther. While The Ring General once again defeated Sheamus to progress to the second round, Jey breezed past Finn Balor to pick up the win.

Now, The Mad Dragon and The Main Event will battle for the first time in the quarterfinals of the tournament. When he realized he would be fighting one of the best wrestlers currently available on Raw, he was more than ready to prove his mettle to the WWE Universe. However, it won’t be easy for him to beat Jey.

However, the road to the finals is going to be difficult for the 38-year-old superstar. As a lot of outside factors will come into play. His enemies, such as Damian Priest and Drew McIntyre, will try to destroy his momentum. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top in this match.

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