One of the most coveted free agents in the business is about to embark on All Elite Wrestling. We are talking about Ilja Dragunov, who recently left WWE after rejecting a contract renewal offer. After the news broke, many pointed to Tony Khan's company as the most likely destination. A belief that could soon become a reality, as revealed in a new report by Fightful Select.
"Sean Ross Sapp, from Fightful Select, has learned that, as of today, the plan is for Ilja Dragunov to land in All Elite Wrestling. According to our sources, this has been the plan for some time now, although some details are still being finalized to make it happen," the outlet wrote.
"Sources we spoke to pointed out that several recent wrestlers who left WWE and came from outside the United States were facing visa expiration or different visa-related issues, which was affecting their processes to become free agents. Ilja was one of them," the report continued. We have not been able to confirm if Ilja has already signed a contract, but he is expected to join AEW unless unforeseen circumstances arise."
"Ilja will be able to continue using the name Ilja, as it is his given name. We are not sure if he will be able to use 'Dragunov', a surname he was already using before joining WWE. He left the company last month after his contract expired and he decided to move on. Contractually, he has had the freedom to sign with another company for several weeks," the report concluded.
At 32 years old, Ilja remains one of the best European wrestlers of his generation. Dragunov last competed in the traditional Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which took place on the episode of WWE SmackDown prior to WrestleMania. Despite his inactivity in the ring, the Russian wrestler has continued training all summer. The question now is when he will make his debut in AEW.
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