Ilja Dragunov made his long-awaited AEW debut at WrestleDream 2026, and the moment clearly meant everything to him. The former WWE star opened up about his emotional entrance on TMZ’s Inside The Ring podcast as he gears up for his in-ring debut.
Ilja Dragunov (Credits: Fightful)
Dragunov revealed that his WrestleDream entrance music is the same theme he used at the very beginning of his career. “To have this back means everything to me,” he said, “because my most memorable moments were all connected to that, in my humble indie days.” The warm welcome from the arena crowd left him overwhelmed.
“Carry in my heart for the rest of my life”
The Mad Dragon praised AEW for the painstaking detail that went into the debut — “the entire world that AEW put into that detail by detail and the devotion of working together on that.” Calling it “this beautiful beginning,” Dragunov said the night is “something that I possibly will carry in my heart for the rest of my life.”
First opponent: Speedball Mike Bailey
Dragunov’s first opponent in AEW will be ‘Speedball’ Mike Bailey, a dream match on paper for fans of hard-hitting wrestling. If the debut entrance is any indication, Dragunov’s AEW run is going to be must-watch television.
Also Read: Ilja Dragunov Reveals Why He Was Able to Keep His Name After WWE Exit | RVD Teases One More AEW Run, Names Jericho, Christian, Copeland and Jeff Hardy as Dream Opponents
Source: Fightful — read the full story there.