A major story in wrestling today has been Ilja Dragunov’s departure from WWE. This report first came from PWInsider, with Fightful Select and False Finish later confirming the same as well.
Ilja Dragunov had been working for WWE for six years, first starting at NXT UK in 2019. In 2024, Dragunov made his main roster debut on Raw after WrestleMania 40. Some time after this, he tore his ACL and was out of action for a year before returning in late 2025.
Dragunov’s run as the United States Champion made him more popular among fans. However, these people were disappointed when Dragunov was completely removed from the US Title picture after losing the belt to Carmelo Hayes.
Despite being a talented member of the roster, Dragunov wasn’t seen again after the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal this year on SmackDown.
Now, his departure has been confirmed by multiple outlets.
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More Details Regarding Ilja Dragunov’s WWE Exit
Following PWInsider’s original report, in which they said Ilja Dragunov is leaving WWE as his contract has expired, False Finish said that the company “would have liked Dragunov to stay with the company but Dragunov opted to let his contract expire.”
Many fans believe that this is one of the biggest fumbles from WWE’s side in the past few years, considering Ilja always put on a show whenever he was booked on the show.
Fans have also been speculating about his next move, with some believing AEW would be the perfect place for him to debut, and others believing he should sign with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
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If Dragunov were to join All Elite Wrestling, the upcoming AEW All In would be the best place for that. Unlike many other wrestlers who recently departed WWE, Ilja wasn’t released by the promotion but rather his contract expired. This means that he’s eligible to sign with any wrestling promotion in the world immediately.
Where do you think Ilja Dragunov would eventually end up?
For more on Ilja Dragunov and pro wrestling (WWE, AEW, etc.), you can check out this page. If you’re new to watching wrestling, check out our WWE streaming guide, which is updated for 2026.
Main image credit: WWE
Wrestling news reporter.
