Ever since Ilja Dragunov shockingly departed WWE last month, speculation has been rampant about his potential move to AEW.
In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer noted that Dragunov has inked a deal a deal with All Elite Wrestling and is likely to make his debut with the company exceptionally soon. This development follows a report from Fightful Select earlier over the past week — which indicated that Dragunov was almost certain to join AEW, though the final details of the deal had yet to be finalized.
Dragunov departed WWE after according to reports deciding against signing a novel contract. Media reports suggest that he had discussions with WWE about a contract extension, nevertheless communication eventually broke down between the parties involved. He later walked away with the NXT Championship before moving to the main talent pool in 2024. Dragunov linked up with WWE in 2019, beginning his career in the NXT UK brand, where he captured the NXT UK Crown.
On the main talent pool, Dragunov won his inaugural strap final October by defeating Sami Zayn for the United States Gold. However, he had limited appearances this year, with his last showdown occurring on SmackDown before The Grandest Stage of Them All 42, where he participated in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale.