Report: AEW Expected To Reach Out To Ilja Dragunov

Ilja Dragunov might soon find his way to All Elite Wrestling.

WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select has reported that a source within AEW believes the promotion will reach out to Dragunov in the near future, if they haven't done so already. Should talks go smoothly, the source believes a Dragunov AEW appearance might be on the horizon. This comes after reports noted there was a hunch within the industry that Dragunov would be heading to All Elite Wrestling.

AEW CEO Tony Khan has heaped praise upon Ilja Dragunov over the past week, including in an interview with talkSPORT where he said:

"I can’t speak about the contractual status of wrestlers outside of the promotion because I don’t know everyone’s contract. There’s no way for me to keep track of all that. But I do know that’s a great wrestler. That’s somebody that is a very excellent athlete, and somebody that has competed at a very high level, and somebody who I respect eminently. I am a big admirer of his and will always be on the lookout to see what happens with him."

Dragunov had been signed to WWE but he exited the company on August 20 after allowing his deal to expire. The former NXT Champion hadn't been featured on WWE TV since the SmackDown before WrestleMania 42, with it being noted the two sides were far apart on terms over a new deal, with WWE concluding that Dragunov was a great worker but "not a numbers mover." WrestleVotes Radio noted that Dragunov's WWE exit is not viewed as a short-term departure within the organisation.