Ilja Dragunov Reportedly Set To Join AEW

Ilja Dragunov looks set to join the All Elite Wrestling roster.

When news broke on August 20 that Ilja Dragunov was leaving WWE, many immediately expected him to sign with All Elite Wrestling. Particularly when it was noted that the former United States Champion’s WWE contract had already expired, a large portion of fans even went into All In: London at Wembley Stadium with the belief Dragunov could be a surprise entrant in the Casino Gauntlet, with some even having him down as a possible winner. While that didn’t happen, it does now appear as if his AEW arrival isn’t too far away.

According to an update from Fightful Select, it’s believed the plan is for Ilja Dragunov to become “All Elite”.

“Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp has learned that the plan as of now is for Ilja Dragunov to land in All Elite Wrestling. We’re told that this has been the plan for some time, but some final details are getting nailed down to make it a reality.”

-Fightful Select

The report mentions that some of the WWE departures had been affected by visa issues which impacted their free agent process, including Ilja himself, possibly explaining why we didn’t see him signed to AEW in time for any of their recent shows. Although it’s unknown as to whether he’s officially put pen to paper, it now appears to be a matter of time before the 32-year-old returns to our screens for the first time since April.

Interestingly, it was noted that, while the star used the “Ilja Dragunov” name prior to signing with WWE, it’s unclear whether he’d be free to use the same surname going forward. This remains something to keep an eye on as he looks to begin his next venture.

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As always, we’ll aim to provide any further updates on Ilja Dragunov landing in AEW as soon as we hear more.