Ilja Dragunov says his move from WWE to AEW developed rapidly once his WWE contract reached its expiration date, with the wrestler describing the eventual agreement as something that came together in a very short period of time.
Speaking on TMZ’s Inside The Ring, Dragunov addressed the circumstances surrounding his decision to leave WWE, the quick timeline that followed, and the personal mindset behind choosing a new destination. His transition included some issues involving his visa process, but Dragunov made clear that the business side with AEW did not become a prolonged public saga once he was free to make his next move.
“I don’t think that you can find, like, necessarily a point in time where you can say which side, how, and how it came together,” Dragunov said. “I can say it came together quite quickly after my contract expired. That’s something that happened in very much of a fragment of a time.”
A Rapid Move Following WWE Departure
Dragunov’s comments present the move as a decision that crystallized swiftly rather than a long, drawn-out negotiation played out in public. While he did not assign the beginning of the process to one singular conversation or one party’s initiative, he emphasized that the agreement was reached quickly after the end of his WWE deal.
For more background on this topic, read Maria Kanellis Says Full-Time Wrestling Return Is Unlikely But Leaves Door Open for Major WWE Appearance.
That distinction is important in understanding how Dragunov frames the transition. He did not offer a detailed play-by-play of discussions, nor did he portray the situation as a dramatic split with WWE. Instead, he described a fast-moving opportunity that emerged after the contract expiration, with AEW and Dragunov apparently finding common ground early in their talks.
The visa-related complications were part of the path to his AEW arrival, but Dragunov ultimately made his debut at WrestleDream. The debut gave AEW a high-profile new addition whose reputation had been built around an intense, emotionally charged presentation and a physical in-ring approach. For Dragunov, however, the move was not solely about the speed of the deal or the chance to make a surprise entrance. It was also about finding an environment that felt right for where he wanted his career to go.
Respect Was a Key Early Factor
Dragunov said he felt respected by AEW very early in the process. That feeling appears to have carried considerable weight as he evaluated his options after seven years with WWE.
“I felt the respect from the other side pretty quickly,” Dragunov said.
Professional wrestling decisions are often discussed through the narrow lenses of money, television exposure, championships, or contractual security. Dragunov’s explanation was more personal. He repeatedly centered instinct, emotional investment, and the need to be honest with himself about whether his professional surroundings still matched the direction he wanted to take.
That does not mean he dismissed or diminished his WWE tenure. In fact, Dragunov specifically pushed back against the idea that questioning his place there should be interpreted as an attack on the company or a rejection of the time he spent there. He said he had been asking himself whether WWE remained the right place for him for a while, but acknowledged the significance of the seven years he spent with the promotion.
“I was asking myself if I am at the right place for quite a while already,” he said, before stressing that this “doesn’t say necessarily anything bad” about those years in WWE.
That is a notable part of Dragunov’s account. His departure was not presented as an accusation, a public grievance, or an attempt to rewrite his previous chapter in a negative light. He can value the years he spent in WWE and still believe that a different path was necessary. The two ideas are not mutually exclusive, and Dragunov made that balance central to his explanation.
Dragunov Followed His Gut Feeling
Dragunov has long carried a distinctive intensity into his work, and his explanation for leaving WWE reflects that same emotional directness. He described himself as someone who is emotionally driven in what he does and said he listens closely to his gut feeling when making major decisions.
More than anything, he said he did not want to remain in a situation that no longer felt aligned with his ambitions simply for the sake of staying put. Dragunov framed that as a matter of personal honesty.
“What I always try to be is not a hypocrite,” Dragunov said. “So, when I feel like something is not going in the direction that I wanted anymore, it doesn’t feel like a place where I want to stick anymore.”
The statement supplies the clearest explanation of his choice. Dragunov was not claiming that WWE had erased the value of his prior work there. Nor did he detail a single event that made departure inevitable. Rather, he described a growing internal realization that his future may be better served elsewhere.
That kind of decision can be especially significant for a performer who views wrestling as more than a job. Dragunov’s own words suggest that he places a premium on conviction. If he no longer believed the direction was right, he did not want to continue merely out of comfort, familiarity, or obligation.
His comments also leave room for the complexity of a major career move. A contract expiration can create a practical opening for a wrestler to explore alternatives, but Dragunov indicated that his thinking had begun before the actual departure. By the time the agreement with AEW came together, he had already spent time considering whether his existing situation was where he wanted to remain.
AEW Presented an Opportunity He Wanted to Pursue
Dragunov said there were opportunities outside WWE that he wanted to pursue, specifically including AEW. That does not require an assumption about promises, creative plans, or specific future opponents. None were outlined in his comments. What is clear is that he saw enough possibility beyond WWE to take the chance when it became available.
For AEW, Dragunov’s arrival at WrestleDream added a wrestler who openly views his career choices through the lens of purpose and emotional commitment. His public explanation of the signing also reinforces that the move was not presented as a casual change of employers. It was a decision he believed was necessary to follow the direction he felt was right.
The speed of the agreement may also speak to the degree of alignment Dragunov felt with AEW. He did not provide the financial or contractual specifics of the deal, and there is no reason to speculate about them. But he did say that he and AEW were on the same page on many matters, which helps explain why the process did not need to become a lengthy negotiation after his WWE contract ended.
In an industry where uncertainty can surround every major move, Dragunov’s account is comparatively straightforward: his WWE contract expired, he was already questioning whether he belonged there long-term, AEW made him feel respected early, and an agreement was reached quickly. Visa issues complicated the route to his arrival, but they did not alter the ultimate outcome.
Looking Back Without Disowning the Past
Dragunov’s remarks stand out because they avoid turning a departure into a simple victory-or-defeat narrative. He did not describe WWE as a failure, and he did not suggest that seven years with the company lacked value. At the same time, he was candid that appreciation for a previous chapter does not obligate someone to remain in it indefinitely.
That perspective gives his AEW debut at WrestleDream added context. The appearance was the result of a decision that had both professional and personal dimensions. The professional side involved a contract expiration, a rapidly completed agreement, and the resolution of visa issues. The personal side involved trust, respect, instinct, and the determination not to stay somewhere once it no longer felt like the right fit.
Dragunov’s next chapter is now underway in AEW, but his explanation of how he got there remains grounded in that simple principle. He enjoyed his WWE run, he respects what those seven years meant, and he nevertheless believed there were other opportunities worth pursuing. Once the door opened after his contract expired, he says, the AEW deal came together quickly—and he followed the feeling that it was time to move forward.
In pictures
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.