Ilja Dragunov is officially a free agent, and AEW is already being talked about as a possible next stop. The key thing right now, though, is that nobody inside AEW has confirmed that a deal is actually in the works.
Dragunov’s WWE contract expired on August 20, which means he can sign with another promotion or appear somewhere else immediately. Unlike a WWE release, there is no 90-day waiting period attached to his departure because his contract simply ran its course.
Fightful Select checked with sources inside AEW about Dragunov and was told they had not heard anything about him joining the company at this point. That doesn’t mean AEW is out of the picture, because Dragunov is available right now if Tony Khan wants to make a move.
“AEW sources we spoke to had not yet heard about him coming to the company. However, he is now a free agent and could appear as soon as they wanted.”
There is still plenty of smoke around AEW as a potential destination. Fightful noted that people within the wrestling industry expect Dragunov could end up there, but made it clear that expectation is based more on educated speculation than knowledge of an actual agreement.
“Sources in the industry did expect him to land in All Elite Wrestling, but that was considered a hunch as opposed to firm.”
So, as things stand, there is no confirmation that Dragunov has signed with AEW, no indication from AEW sources that his debut is already planned, and no known agreement between the two sides. What AEW does have is the ability to move immediately if interest develops.
One possible factor is Dragunov’s visa situation following the end of his WWE contract. Fightful has been trying to determine exactly where that stands because international wrestlers can sometimes have a grace period after leaving the company sponsoring their work status.
“We’ve been working to learn what his visa status is, as a lot of times when wrestlers leave the company they have a grace period before needing to procure one. However, if he wants to stay in America, he will have no trouble getting work.”
Dragunov becoming available follows months of inactivity in WWE. Dave Meltzer previously wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE and Dragunov were far apart during negotiations for a new contract, with the decision made back in April to stop using him.
“Essentially, he signed what was termed a very good contract and it was coming due. In talks over a new deal, the sides were far enough apart that the decision was made in April not to use him anymore.”
That eventually led to Dragunov sitting out the remainder of his contract before becoming free on August 20. For now, AEW remains a logical possibility rather than a done deal. People within the industry can see Dragunov landing there, but AEW sources had not heard that anything was already happening. With Dragunov completely free to sign and appear immediately, however, that situation could change quickly.
Do you think Ilja Dragunov will ultimately end up in AEW, or would you rather see him take a different path after WWE? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
