Ilja Dragunov Discusses AEW Arrival, Will Make In-Ring Debut On Dynamite
Ilja Dragunov says he’s “starving for competition” after joining AEW.
Rumours have been running rampant for a while now about whether Ilja Dragunov would arrive in AEW after not renewing his contract with WWE. Sure enough, he debuted to massive fanfare, and his classic theme “Soviet March” from Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3, at last night’s WrestleDream event. Now, the 33-year-old has looked ahead to life in his new promotion.
During the WrestleDream media scrum, Ilja sat down and took many questions from the press, including what it was like to debut at the show.
“The feeling is quite, I would say, very, very overwhelming. It’s a new breath of fresh air. It is in a totally new environment for me, but the way I’ve got welcomed here, I know it just feels plainly right.”
-Ilja Dragunov
Hoping to get off to a good start, Tony Khan revealed Ilja’s first match in an All Elite Wrestling ring will happen on this week’s Dynamite. Now, as for who Dragunov wants to face in AEW, it’s apparently a long list.
“That is a great question. A better question is, who not? For real, if I think about all the competitors here at AEW, it is hard to say who I do not want to wrestle. It starts with a Moxley, it goes on with a Joe, it goes on with a Fletcher, so many amazing competitors in that ring. Since I’m here and I went to this presentation in front of all of you, I feel like I’m starving. I’m starving for competition, and I know that whoever I will step up against has a serious problem because now I am here.”
-Ilja Dragunov
Leading up to his arrival, Tommaso Ciampa and Kyle Fletcher each posted pictures of their last matches with him, showing their eagerness to renew their past rivalries. Plus, Fletcher being named by Ilja at the media scrum suggests the company are very aware a match between them is something both fans and the wrestlers themselves are after.
For those wondering why he is so amped to be in All Elite Wrestling, he addressed that as well, as he felt this was a place he could be free.
“I never had the chance where I didn’t feel like I can’t bet on myself. And if I feel that this chance is limited and it gets more limited, and I feel like I’m getting stuck somewhere. Not because of external factors, just feeling stuck in general because I have this urge to fight. I really love to fight, and I want to compete and I want to step up. And if I feel that the air in a certain environment gets thinner for me, I need to breathe. That’s what I did today here. If I need a place to breathe new fresh air, see a new landscape and see what the world can offer to me to satisfy this hunger for competition. At this point in time, everything is quite fresh for me. To have a full summary right now is quite impossible to make, but if I think about words, I would describe it as freedom. It is trust. It’s a fresh breath of air for me, and it’s a landscape of limitless opportunities that I see in front of my eyes. Because if we say that AEW is the place where the best wrestle, how couldn’t I belong here?”
-Ilja Dragunov
It has not been announced who Dragunov will fight, but at the end of the session, after Khan revealed his Dynamite debut, Ilja expressed his desire to return to the ring no matter the opponent. While his return to WWE this time last year saw him immediately pick up gold by winning the United States Championship, his reign only lasted 70 days, as the star disappeared from our screens not long after.
According to reports, WWE decided around April of this year to stop using Dragunov when contract negotiations reached a stalemate. As such, this Wednesday will see his first venture into the squared circle for over six months, leaving many viewers excited to see what comes next.
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As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Ilja Dragunov’s AEW arrival as soon as we hear more.
