Ilja Dragunov apparently didn’t spend his free agency shopping himself around the wrestling world before landing in AEW. The former WWE star says AEW was the only promotion he spoke to, and everything came together pretty quickly once he was ready to figure out his next move.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Dragunov was asked whether he had conversations with any other wrestling companies after his WWE contract expired in August. According to Dragunov, there really wasn’t some huge bidding process happening behind the scenes.
“If I gotta be honest, everything went down so fast. Everything I did was just giving myself a rest — that’s pretty much what I did for the most part.”
After spending years under the WWE umbrella, Dragunov’s first priority wasn’t immediately finding another contract. He took some time for himself, but once things started moving with AEW, they moved very quickly.
“When things clicked, they clicked very fast. Yes, I only spoke to AEW.”
That also clears up any questions about whether Dragunov entertained offers from several promotions before ultimately choosing Tony Khan’s company. At least according to Dragunov, AEW was the only conversation he had.
Helwani then asked when Dragunov actually signed his AEW contract. Dragunov didn’t give an exact date, but indicated it happened fairly soon after his WWE deal reached its expiration.
“I think it was possibly just a minor time after my contract expired. It was a very easygoing expiration.”
That’s particularly interesting considering Dragunov previously revealed WWE had no intention of simply letting him go. He said there were negotiations before his contract expired, but ultimately nothing about the situation gave him the feeling that he absolutely needed to remain with the company.
“Everything I can say is there was nothing I felt was satisfying and nothing that gave me the perspective of, like, ‘Okay, I MUST stick with here.’”
Dragunov had also spent the final months of his WWE contract without a television storyline. His last match came during WrestleMania 42 weekend in April, and he previously explained that he spent the months afterwards waiting for another creative opportunity while WWE’s television time and existing storylines remained crowded.
Once his contract expired in August, Dragunov eventually found the change he was looking for in AEW. He previously described wanting “new, fresh air” and a different landscape where he could satisfy his hunger for competition.
There was still one thing holding up his actual arrival — his visa. Dragunov revealed that after finally learning his passport was ready, he contacted AEW and was on a flight back to the United States just seven hours later, allowing everything to come together for his WrestleDream debut.
So despite all the speculation that surrounded Dragunov’s future after WWE, his version of events is actually pretty straightforward. He took some time to rest, only talked to AEW, and once the two sides clicked, it apparently didn’t take long to make him All Elite.
What do you think about Ilja Dragunov revealing that AEW was the only promotion he spoke to after leaving WWE? 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.
