The 2026 WWE Royal Rumble in Riyadh had its fair share of wild moments—but for Ilja Dragunov, the chaos started before he even hit the ring as some fans tried to take his coat.
Fan footage from the event shows the former United States Champion removing his coat on the entrance ramp as he made his way towards the ring. That’s when a group of fans near the barricade tried to snatch the coat off the ramp in real time as they started playing with it.
Stu the cameraman noticed the commotion and pointed directly at the group, signaling them to stop. After being caught red-handed, the fans quickly tossed the coat back onto the ramp. A WWE staff member quickly retrieved it before things could escalate further.
Even then, the Mad Dragon had a strong showing in the Men’s Rumble match—until he made the decision to step up to Brock Lesnar. He landed a stiff chop, but The Beast didn’t flinch. Lesnar no-sold the strike, immediately turned, and eliminated Dragunov from the match with ease.
From a stolen coat attempt to a brutal elimination, Dragunov’s Rumble night was one to remember—for all the wrong reasons.
What do you think of the fan behavior during Ilja Dragunov’s entrance? Was it disrespectful or just heat-of-the-moment excitement? Drop your thoughts below and join the conversation.