Ilja Dragunov landed in All Elite Wrestling last weekend during the celebration of AEW WrestleDream, thus starting a new stage in his professional career after his departure from WWE. A decision he had not commented on until now, coinciding with a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.
Helwani began by asking him if he knew that his participation in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal last April would be his last match in WWE. "No, not at all," Dragunov replied. "All I can say about it is not too exciting. At that time, I didn't know I was going to leave. I was just waiting. I love what I do. I want to compete and work. It's nothing new to anyone. It was pretty obvious. Time passed, and my contract came to an end. Over time, seeing how things were going and how I felt, I thought it was time to breathe new and fresh air".
Since his departure was announced, the media agreed that it was the wrestler's decision, despite the company wanting to continue using his services. In this regard, Helwani asked him if WWE approached him with the goal of renewing his contract. "Yes, the company had no intention of letting me go", Dragunov stated.
When asked if he was not satisfied with the offer received, he replied: "It was a combination of many factors. As we all know, the offer is a business matter, but it also depends on how I feel. How do I want to work creatively? Do I need a change of scenery? All factors must be taken into account. I spent most of my twenties in WWE. That's a lot of time. The landscape has changed, and now we have other opportunities. After spending so much time in the company, who wouldn't look for new opportunities in a place where they feel they fit better?".
When Helwani asked if WWE had asked him for a pay cut or, on the contrary, had offered him a raise, he answered: "I am too discreet, too professional in business, and too much of a gentleman to talk about these things. All I can say is that there was nothing that made me feel satisfied or made me think, 'I have to stay here'".
When asked if WWE knew he wasn't going to renew, Dragunov replied: "All I can say is not as exciting as people have made it seem. There comes a time when you have no creative opportunities and you just wait for the next opportunity to arise. Many new talents appeared, and many stories were already complete. The available time for each wrestler is limited. I won't go into too much detail. All I knew was that my contract was coming to an end and the negotiations had led nowhere," he replied.
With his arrival in AEW, Dragunov will be part of one of the most complete and nourished rosters in the professional wrestling business. Fans are already looking forward to the great matches the Russian wrestler could have against top talents like Will Ospreay, Jon Moxley, Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, and many more. His first match will take place tomorrow on AEW Dynamite against an opponent yet to be revealed.
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