Was This the Moment That Ruined Ilja Dragunov's Momentum and Made Him Leave WWE?

At this year’s Royal Rumble, Ilja Dragunov stepped up against Brock Lesnar and delivered one of his trademark devastating chops — the kind of shot that would have had almost anyone selling the impact. But Brock simply no-sold it, showing absolutely no effect. Things got even worse when Lesnar grabbed Dragunov by the head, choked him out and eliminated him from the Royal Rumble. What followed was a frustrating decline in momentum for Dragunov. From being viewed as one of WWE’s most explosive and promising stars, his push gradually lost steam, and the momentum he had built seemed to disappear. And now, months later, Dragunov has reportedly chosen not to renew his WWE contract, bringing his WWE chapter to an unexpected end. Was the Royal Rumble moment the beginning of the downfall? Or was Dragunov simply never given the opportunity to reach the level many believed he was capable of? One thing is certain — Ilja Dragunov had the potential to be something truly special in WWE