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While WWE has had plenty of notable rivalries over the past few years, arguably one of the biggest to occur on WWE's "NXT" brand was the feud between Carmelo Hayes and Ilja Dragunov. Now, in just a short while, fans will get to see the rivalry renewed, only it won't be on "Raw," "SmackDown," or "NXT."
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Instead, they'll get to see the rivalry renewed on "WWE Speed." Taking to X earlier this morning, WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H announced that Hayes and Dragunov would be facing off on today's episode of "Speed," which is set to air on X at 12 p.m. EST. Triple H described the match as WWE "revisiting one of the fiercest rivalries" in "NXT" history, while emphasizing that it would be sped up by "Speed's" unique rules.
We're revisiting one of #WWENXT's fiercest rivalries... and we're taking the fast track there. It's @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR vs. @Carmelo_WWE today on #WWESpeed, 12pm ET / 9am PT exclusively on @X. pic.twitter.com/H6RAtFZEH7
— Triple H (@TripleH) July 17, 2024
Triple H isn't kidding on the last part. "Speed," which was first launched on X in April, features one match per show with a three minute time limit, meaning Dragunov will have only a limited amount of time to defeat each other. This a stark contrast to their "NXT" matches, where Dragunov and Hayes' trilogy never featured a bout that went shorter than sixteen minutes. The winner of the bout would likely be in line for a shot at the Speed Championship, currently held by Andrade.
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Separate from "Speed," both Dragunov and Hayes have been plenty busy on their respective brands. On "Raw," Dragunov has found himself in the Intercontinental Championship picture, including wrestling champion Sami Zayn to a no contest this past Monday night. Meanwhile, Hayes most recently represented "SmackDown" in the Men's Money in the Bank match, ultimately coming up short to winner Drew McIntyre.
