It seems the Ilja Dragunov and WWE story has taken a massive new twist.
Ilja Dragunov’s WWE career never took off the way the star would have intended it to with him constantly being ignored on a number of occasions. The Russian superstar was considered a warhorse with a huge fan following and a unique hard-hitting style that stood out from his peers.
Whether it was Dragunov’s unique presence of the complete arsenal of moves that made him a formidable wrestler, fans took a great liking to him and wanted to see get better treatment and booking. Instead, Dragunov went missing for months after the Royal Rumble and generally well-liked US Title reign.
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There were a lot of questions as to why the star was not being utilised properly with so much talent and opportunities at the promotion’s disposal. Instead, his last match in WWE came on the April 17 episode of SmackDown in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. The star was once viewed as the future with a great NXT Title run and the NXT UK Title run added to his resume.
However, his recent absence was reported to be because TKO and WWE viewed the analytics surrounding the superstar and inferred that he wasn’t getting the metrics to give him another push and hand him opportunities. It now seems these metrics have drawn the line on Ilja Dragunov’s WWE career,
Ilja Dragunov Is Officially Gone From WWE
It was recently reported that Dragunov was done with WWE after his contract expired and he was expected to leave the company. Only hours after PWInsider delivered this report, Dragunov was added to the alumni page on the promotion’s website.
Dragunov is now officially done with the company with the former United States Champion being gone. The star chose not to renew the contract despite World Wrestling Entertainment wanting to keep him on the roster. It seems the disconnect between both parties was real and Dragunov will take his talents elsewhere.
While superstars jumping ship or leaving promotions is nothing new in the world of pro wrestling, it’s a job after all, the way some of the recent departures have been handled by WWE or TKO in general seems to indicate that superstars would rather struggle on the independent scene than stay in the company. The New Day and Sheamus both legends of the company did not even get so much of a farewell after deciding to not renew their contracts and accept fifty percent paycuts.
The situation with Bayley is still murky at best, and now Dragunov has also decided to go in search of greener pastures. In 2026, wrestlers have other options, some even get much better options than being under TKO, while others are ready to gamble and take the risk. It’s clear with Ilja Dragunov that WWE is not the fairy land pro wrestlers all over the world dreamt of it to be.
