Ilja Dragunov is anticipated to join AEW, as reported by Fightful Select, though no official contract has been signed yet. Sean Ross Sapp mentions that AEW has been the intended destination for some time, with only administrative matters left to finalize. Fightful has not confirmed a signed deal, indicating he is expected to sign unless something unexpected occurs.
The delay is reportedly due to immigration issues rather than contract negotiations. Many WWE releases this year, especially international wrestlers, have faced visa expiration or complications which have slowed their ability to become free agents—Dragunov is among those affected. There’s also uncertainty regarding the use of his ring name; while Ilja is his real first name, it’s unclear if he can continue using the surname Dragunov, which he used prior to WWE.
This update is a clearer follow-up to what Fightful shared three weeks ago when they first suggested Dragunov might join AEW based on industry intuition, but without concrete confirmation. Back then, the visa issues were known but not expected to prevent him from working in the U.S., and some speculated he could return to PROGRESS in Europe.
Dragunov’s WWE contract expired in August, as confirmed by PWInsider and WWE’s roster changes. He decided not to renew. According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE stopped featuring him on TV from April due to a significant pay dispute; internally, he was seen as highly skilled but not drawing enough revenue to justify his salary demands. Because his contract ended normally, no 90-day non-compete clause applied, so he has been eligible to sign with any promotion since August 20, though he has yet to appear elsewhere.
His final WWE TV match was the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on April 17’s SmackDown, with his last singles match a loss to Carmelo Hayes on March 30. He had made a notable return in October 2022 from a torn ACL, capturing the United States Championship by answering Sami Zayn’s open challenge in his first match back.
The reason for his absence from April to August was not publicly explained. Fightful revealed that several peers reached out during this time but were not informed about his status.
Dragunov initially signed with WWE in February 2019, debuting on NXT UK in May where he became the NXT United Kingdom Champion and developed his well-known rivalry with Gunther. He relocated to NXT in Orlando in September 2022, won the NXT Championship in September 2023, and was drafted to Raw in 2024.
Before WWE, he gained acclaim in Germany’s wXw and the UK’s PROGRESS promotion. Sources at wXw expressed surprise at his WWE departure and had hoped his main roster tenure would be more successful.
AEW has yet to comment publicly, and no official announcement has been made regarding his signing.
This summary represents only a portion of the full story. For comprehensive coverage, please visit Fightful Select at Patreon.com/Fightful.
Fan Take: Dragunov’s potential move to AEW is significant as it signals a fresh start for a talented performer whose WWE run was arguably underutilized. His presence could bring a new level of intensity and international flair to AEW, exciting fans and potentially shaking up the promotion’s competitive landscape.
Source: wrestlingnews.co
