WWE Reportedly Chose To Stop Using Ilja Dragunov In April Amid Contract Negotiations

WWE reportedly didn’t consider Ilja Dragunov a numbers mover.

Yesterday, August 20, news emerged via PWInsider that Ilja Dragunov had departed WWE. Although he hadn’t appeared on-screen since April, his departure still came as a major shock to most fans, particularly as he held gold on SmackDown as recently as the start of the year, and more has now emerged on why the company made the decision to let him go.

According to an update from Dave Meltzer in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, it’s believed Dragunov was on a “very good contract” with WWE not considering him enough of a numbers mover to come to a new agreement.

“Essentially, he signed what was termed a very good contract and it was coming due. In talks over a new deal, the sides were far enough apart that the decision was made in April not to use him anymore. He would be free to wrestle anywhere at this point as there is no non-compete for a contract running out. It was essentially conceded he was a great worker but not a numbers mover and evidently for the level of money he was asking and getting, you needed to be a numbers mover.”

-Dave Meltzer

Dragunov found success on SmackDown as United States Champion from October 2025 to January 2026. However, his final appearance came in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal shortly before WrestleMania 42, with WWE opting to leave him out of its plans once it became clear he was likely to depart the company.

At the time of writing, little is known about Dragunov’s future, though he is believed to be immediately free to sign elsewhere. His departure has already sparked calls from fans for him to join AEW, while others are hoping to see the former NXT Champion pursue a run in Japan.

Additionally, Dragunov may not be the only WWE departure in the coming months, with a recent report suggesting that several more main roster contracts are set to expire in October. You can read more about that here.

As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Ilja Dragunov’s WWE departure as soon as we hear more.