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Ilja Dragunov officially debuts with AEW at the 2026 WrestleDream PPV event

Aaron Rift

During the summer of 2026, it was reported that Ilja Dragunov had left WWE. Dragunov’s WWE departure was his decision after he and the company were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.

At the 2026 AEW WrestleDream PPV event, Renee Paquette introduced Dragunov as the newest member of the company. The metronome previously seen on Wednesday’s episode of Collision appeared on the big screen before the lights went out. Dragunov then made his entrance to a massive ovation, conducting along to his music.

On commentary, Nigel McGuinness described him as one of the most violent and dangerous men to ever walk the Earth.

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