Ilja Dragunov has finally explained why he chose AEW, and it sounds like he was simply ready to breathe again. After making his debut at WrestleDream, the former WWE star said he needed a new environment where he could feel like a complete version of himself and satisfy his hunger for competition.
Speaking during the post-AEW WrestleDream media scrum, Dragunov was asked about the factors that led to his decision to sign with the company. After nearly 14 years in wrestling, he explained that he’s been through enough different stages of his career to recognize when he starts feeling stuck.
“My decisions and factors? I’ve been doing this for almost 14 years, and I’ve been through a lot of phases when it comes to my indie wrestling career and pro wrestling career in general. I’ve been under contract where I never had a chance, where I didn’t feel like a complete version of myself.”
Dragunov didn’t specifically blame WWE or point to one particular issue that made him leave. Instead, he described the feeling of having fewer opportunities available to him and realizing that he needed a change before he became completely stuck.
“If I feel this chance is limited and it gets more limited, I feel like I’m getting stuck somewhere — not because of external factors, but stuck in general.”
For Dragunov, that feeling doesn’t work with the way he approaches professional wrestling. He still has the urge to fight, compete and constantly challenge himself, so staying somewhere that no longer gives him room to breathe wasn’t something he wanted to do.
“But because I have this urge to fight — I love to fight and step up. If I feel like the air in a certain environment gets thinner for me, I need to breathe.”
That’s ultimately what brought him to AEW. Dragunov described his arrival as an opportunity to get some fresh air, experience a completely different landscape and find out what else professional wrestling can offer him.
“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 me to satisfy this hunger for competition — that’s the easiest answer I can give to that question.”
Dragunov officially arrived earlier in the night at WrestleDream after weeks of speculation about his future. Renee Paquette introduced him during the show before he entered the ring, took a lap and soaked in the reaction without cutting a promo or immediately getting physical with anyone.
Tony Khan didn’t wait long to confirm what Dragunov’s appearance meant either. Shortly afterwards, the AEW President posted the familiar “All Elite” graphic and officially welcomed him to the roster.
“He has arrived in AEW tonight at #AEWWrestleDream, and now it’s official: @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR is All Elite!”
Dragunov had been available since his WWE contract expired in August, while his eventual AEW arrival was delayed as visa matters were worked out. AEW eventually began airing mysterious vignettes for him before everything finally came together at WrestleDream.
Now Dragunov isn’t just officially All Elite — fans finally know what attracted him to the company in the first place. He wanted somewhere he could breathe, find new competition and avoid feeling stuck, and AEW is the fresh landscape he chose for the next chapter of his career.
What do you think about Ilja Dragunov’s explanation for choosing AEW, and what should the company have waiting for him next? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
