Tommaso Ciampa has a new challenger for AEW Full Gear, and it’s someone he knows very well. During the November 11 episode of AEW Dynamite/Collision, Ilja Dragunov confronted Ciampa after his successful AEW National Championship defense against Mike Bailey, setting up a huge title match for Saturday’s pay-per-view.
Ciampa had just survived a brutal match against Bailey that saw the challenger get busted open. The champion went after the cut throughout the match, even biting Bailey’s bloody forehead as the crowd turned on him.
Bailey managed to fight back and nearly pulled off the upset several times, but Ciampa refused to stay down. After surviving Bailey’s best shots, Ciampa connected with a running knee to put him away and retain the AEW National Championship. Ciampa barely had time to celebrate before things took an unexpected turn.
The lights suddenly went out, and a metronome appeared on the stage. Moments later, Ilja Dragunov made his entrance to a massive reaction from the crowd. Dragunov walked out and came face-to-face with Ciampa, making it clear he wanted the National Championship. The two stared each other down before the screen confirmed they would meet at AEW Full Gear on November 14.
The match has been building for weeks. Dragunov previously confronted Ciampa after the champion claimed to be the biggest signing in AEW history. Ciampa refused to fight him at the time, but there’s no avoiding him now. With Dragunov officially getting his shot, Ciampa will have another tough test just days after surviving Bailey.
The confirmed AEW Full Gear 2026 match card now includes:
- AEW World Championship: Will Ospreay (c) vs. Kyle Fletcher
- AEW National Championship: Tommaso Ciampa (c) vs. Ilja Dragunov
- AEW Women’s World Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Marina Shafir
- AEW International Championship: Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Adam Copeland
- AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (c) vs. Mark Davis and Jake Doyle
- AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship: The Brawling Birds (c) vs. Wrathlander
- AEW World Trios Championship Texas Death Match: Hangman Page and Brodido (c) vs. Swerve Strickland and The New Level
- Anarchy in the Arena: The Death Riders and The Conglomeration vs. The Cut
AEW Full Gear takes place Saturday, November 14, at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. Ciampa has only been National Champion for a matter of days, and now he’s walking into a fight with Dragunov that could end his title reign before it really gets going.
Do you think Ilja Dragunov will take the AEW National Championship from Tommaso Ciampa at Full Gear, or will Ciampa find another way to survive? Let us know in the comments below.
