Carmelo Hayes Sizes Up WWE NXT Rival Ilja Dragunov

On September 30, "WWE NXT" Champion Carmelo Hayes will face off with a familiar foe as he will defend his title against Ilja Dragunov at "NXT" No Mercy. The two competitors previously met at the "NXT" Great American Bash, where Dragunov unleashed his hard-hitting offense on Hayes. 

Upon launching himself at Hayes' ally Trick Williams, Dragunov accidentally slammed his face into the "NXT" Championship belt, which allowed Hayes to capitalize and retain his title.

Speaking on WWE's "The Bump," Hayes reflected on the aforementioned title match, revealing his motivation to defeat Dragunov in a cleaner manner. "Well, to be honest, I needed two months to recover from that match, so I'm glad that they gave me a little bit of time," said the "NXT" Champion. "I feel like this match going into it, I'll be way more prepared. I know what I'm getting into. Somebody like Ilja Dragunov, he's a different breed, man. You guys know, you guys have watched him just walk to the ring. That alone is terrifying. 

"So, I'm looking forward to getting back in there with him and getting that solidified win. There was a lot of talk about an asterisk because I had Trick by my side and there was a little bit of question with that. So I'm ready to shut all the doubters up and beat Ilja one, two, three, clean."

When asked how he plans to approach Dragunov this time, Hayes vowed to bring the fight to him right out of the gate. While the "NXT" Champion isn't afraid to level up the physicality, he does admit that he has yet to find Dragunov's weakness in the ring, which presents another challenge for him to overcome. Hayes asserted, though, that he's ready for the challenge.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "WWE The Bump" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.