Ilja Dragunov has basically vanished from WWE television since WrestleMania, and there may finally be an explanation for why. WWE’s growing obsession with numbers and analytics could be working against him—and right now, he simply isn’t considered a priority.
During a Q&A session, JoeyVotes and TC of WrestleVotes addressed Dragunov’s lengthy disappearance. JoeyVotes admitted there hasn’t exactly been much noise surrounding a comeback.
“I haven’t heard his name in weeks.”
TC then pointed to something much bigger than creative simply having nothing for Dragunov. According to him, WWE has become heavily invested in a “Moneyball” approach to its talent, looking at analytics and audience behavior when deciding who gets pushed and who gets television time. If the numbers aren’t working in somebody’s favor, they can apparently feel it.
“Analytics, man. They rely on analytics so much. And if these numbers look bad against you and not in your favor, they won’t use you as much. Some of these guys are feeling the effects of WWE’s new Moneyball approach, where they take numbers, analytics, and reporting. People turn off the TV when this guy’s on. They don’t click on his name. WWE utilizes these more than anyone will ever know. These guys are really hurting because of that.”
Dragunov apparently isn’t getting much help from merchandise numbers either. JoeyVotes pointed out that Dragunov has barely had merchandise available, leaving him with fewer opportunities to show WWE that fans are willing to spend money on him.
“His merch is nothing. He’s had one or two shirts, so there’s no, ‘Man, I really like this guy. I’ll buy his T-shirt.’ He’s not a priority. We can say that.”
That certainly puts a different spin on Dragunov’s mysterious disappearance. Back in June, it was reported that there had been little discussion about Dragunov creatively despite him being absent since WrestleMania. There was no indication that an injury was keeping him sidelined either, especially since he had been publicly training at the legendary Hart Dungeon.
So Dragunov has been training, there’s been no known injury keeping him out, and months have passed without a return. So, WWE may simply not be seeing enough in the numbers to put him back near the front of the line.
Dragunov has built his reputation on surviving some of the most brutal fights WWE can throw at him. Getting past WWE’s spreadsheets might be an entirely different battle.
What do you make of WWE’s reported “Moneyball” approach potentially affecting Ilja Dragunov? Let us know in the comments below.
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