Ilja Dragunov has finally broken his silence on his WWE departure — and his AEW arrival. The Mad Dragon made his AEW debut at WrestleDream, where he was announced as the company’s newest signing, and now he is detailing exactly why he walked away from WWE when his contract expired in August.
Ilja Dragunov (Credits: AEW)
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on the Ariel Helwani Show, Dragunov revealed he did not even know his last match — back in April — would be his final WWE appearance. “No, absolutely not. I didn’t know I was leaving at the time. I was just waiting. I love what I do. I want to compete and work. Time just passed by, and I reached the expiration of my contract. I felt that it was time to breathe new and fresh air.”
WWE Tried to Re-Sign Him
Dragunov confirmed that WWE had no intention of letting him go and made an effort to re-sign him. “Yeah, there was no intention of the company to let me go,” he said. But the offer and the overall situation left him cold: “It was an accumulation of a lot of things. The offer, as we all know, is a business, but it’s also based on my feelings. How do I want to work creatively? Do I need a scenery change?”
He declined to discuss the financial terms, saying, “I’m too discreet and too much of a businessman and a gentleman to talk about these kinds of things. Everything I can say is that there was nothing that I felt satisfied with and nothing that gave me the perspective of, ‘I must stick with this.’”
A Scenery Change After His 20s in WWE
Dragunov spent most of his 20s in WWE, and he framed the exit as a natural evolution: “The landscape changed. Now, we have other opportunities. After such a long time being in the company, not seeking out new opportunities at a place where I see myself more fitting — who wouldn’t do that?”
He was kept off TV from April until his deal expired, waiting as new talent came up and storylines filled without him. Now, the waiting is over: Dragunov is set to make his AEW in-ring debut on Wednesday’s Dynamite.
Also Read: WWE’s Internal Reaction to Ilja Dragunov Joining AEW Reportedly All Positive
Source: Fightful — read the full story there.
