Ilja Dragunov may have a serious AEW payday waiting for him if Tony Khan’s recent comments are any indication.
That’s the latest speculation surrounding Dragunov after his WWE contract expired on August 20. Dave Meltzer discussed Dragunov’s future on Wrestling Observer Radio and said Khan has praised him so much in recent interviews that he expects AEW to eventually come calling with a major offer.
Meltzer made it clear this was his read on the situation based on Khan’s public comments, not confirmation that AEW has already put a contract in front of Dragunov.
“Tony Khan, in several interviews, has just been effusive with praise of Ilja Dragunov to the point where I am pretty much expecting that he’s winding up in AEW.”
Khan has certainly given people something to work with. During the ROH Death Before Dishonor post-show media scrum on August 21, Khan was directly asked whether he had interest in Dragunov following the end of his WWE run. He didn’t confirm talks and claimed he wasn’t sure about Dragunov’s contractual status, but he had no problem putting him over.
“I’m not sure about the contractual status, but that’s a tremendous wrestler. I don’t know what his contractual status is, and I can’t keep track of that for people that don’t work here, but he’s a tremendous wrestler.”
Dragunov’s situation is actually pretty simple now. His WWE contract expired on August 20, meaning he is a free agent and does not have a 90-day waiting period keeping him from showing up somewhere else. Meltzer believes Khan’s praise could eventually turn into something much more valuable for Dragunov.
“I just put it this way: based on what he is saying, I am certain that there will be a big offer for Ilja Dragunov. And he’s a free agent already. His deal expired on August 20th, so he’s been a free agent for several days.”
That’s a much stronger prediction than anything that had been attached to Dragunov’s AEW situation before now. Previous checks with people inside AEW had not produced any indication that Dragunov was already on his way into the company. AEW has still been viewed as an obvious possible destination simply because Dragunov is now available and would fit right into a roster loaded with wrestlers who can work his style.
But there is an important difference between “AEW makes sense” and “AEW has made an offer.” Right now, there is no confirmation that Dragunov has received one, no confirmation that negotiations have started, and no indication that he has made a decision about where he wants to wrestle next.
What has changed is Khan publicly praising Dragunov and Meltzer now openly predicting that a big AEW offer could follow. Dragunov suddenly has all the leverage. He’s free, he can show up anywhere immediately, and one of AEW’s biggest decision-makers clearly thinks he’s a hell of a wrestler. Whether that turns into an actual deal is still anybody’s guess, but the possibility of AEW throwing serious money at him is now firmly in the conversation.
Do you think AEW should make Ilja Dragunov a massive offer, or would you rather see him land somewhere else? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
