AEW may be only hours away from finally pulling the trigger on its latest major signing. After weeks of reports and a mysterious vignette on television, Ilja Dragunov is now reportedly expected to make his AEW debut at WrestleDream tonight.
According to PWInsider on October 17, the former WWE star is expected to debut during AEW WrestleDream. The report comes just hours before the pay-per-view and after AEW started teasing his arrival on television.
“Former WWE star Ilja Dragunov is expected to debut at AEW WrestleDream tonight after several vignettes teasing him aired on AEW programming.”
That would bring weeks of speculation surrounding Dragunov’s AEW arrival to an end. AEW aired a cryptic 22-second vignette during the October 14 three-hour Dynamite and Collision, featuring a well-dressed man conducting an orchestra, a metronome sitting on a wrestling mat and shots of someone running around a ring.
It didn’t take long for the identity behind the vignette to leak. Fightful Select subsequently confirmed that it was designed for Dragunov and reported that he’d already signed with AEW while the company worked through his visa situation.
Dragunov’s move to AEW had actually been in the works for a while. Back on September 26, it was reported that even top AEW stars didn’t know exactly when he would show up, despite the company already having materials prepared for his arrival.
His visa situation was one of the remaining issues AEW needed to work through. Dragunov had become a free agent after his WWE contract expired in August and he chose not to renew with the company.
The big mystery now isn’t whether Dragunov is AEW-bound, but exactly how the company plans to introduce him. With his debut reportedly set for WrestleDream, AEW could be preparing to reveal his first storyline before the night is over.
How do you think AEW should introduce its teased new arrival at WrestleDream tonight? Let us know in the comments below.
