Ilja Dragunov’s move to AEW is reportedly causing zero hard feelings inside WWE. According to the latest backstage word from WrestleVotes, the people who worked with the Russian powerhouse are happy for him — and even WWE management isn’t holding his decision against him.
Ilja Dragunov (Credits: Ringside News)
During a recent WrestleVotes Q&A, JoeyVotes and TC were asked how WWE reacted to Dragunov showing up at WrestleDream and officially becoming All Elite. The answer was refreshingly drama-free: “Everyone in WWE that are friends with him are happy.”
No Animosity, Just Good Wishes
WrestleVotes stressed that there is no automatic resentment backstage when talent leaves WWE to “go get their bag.” They pointed to the recent Sheamus situation as another example — there were even people inside WWE who felt Sheamus should consider AEW rather than accept a WWE offer they believed wasn’t good enough. The locker-room message, apparently, was: “Go out there and get your money.”
For Dragunov specifically, the sentiment reportedly runs the same from both sides of the curtain: “From that side of things, they wish him well. From the management side of things, they wish him well.”
One Wrinkle: Triple H Didn’t Want to Lose Him
There is one interesting wrinkle. While WWE apparently isn’t angry about the departure, WrestleVotes indicated that losing Dragunov wasn’t something Triple H wanted to happen. So this wasn’t a case of WWE being finished with him — the company would have preferred things to work out differently, but once Dragunov made his move, there was no backstage grudge.
Dragunov’s WWE contract expired in August, and visa issues delayed his AEW arrival before he finally debuted at WrestleDream. Tony Khan quickly confirmed the signing. Dragunov has since said he wanted a fresh environment where he could “breathe,” find new competition, and avoid feeling stuck — framing AEW as the new landscape he needed, without blaming WWE.
Also Read: MJF Rips AEW WrestleDream in His Own Synopsis, Calls Dragunov Debut Cool
Source: Ringside News — read the full story there.
