Ilja Dragunov says he signed with AEW because he felt stuck and needed new competition, after he was introduced as the company’s newest signing at WrestleDream on Saturday.
Dragunov was asked about his decision to join AEW at the WrestleDream post-show media scrum.
“I’ve been doing this for almost 14 years, and I’ve been through a lot of phases when it comes down to my indie career and pro wrestling career in general. I’ve traveled to places and been under contract. I’ve never had the chance where I didn’t feel like I can’t bet on myself. If I feel that this chance is limited, then it gets more limited,” Dragunov said.
“Then, I feel like I’m getting stuck somewhere. Not because of external factors, just feeling stuck in general, because I have this urge to fight. I love to fight, and I want to compete, and I want to step up. If I feel that the air in a certain environment gets thinner for me, I need to breathe. That’s what I did today, here. If I need a place to breathe new, fresh air, see a new landscape, and see what the world can offer me to satisfy this hunger for competition.”
Dragunov also named Kyle Fletcher, Samoa Joe and Jon Moxley as wrestlers he would like to face. He will get his first AEW match on Wednesday’s Dynamite at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida, Tony Khan said at the scrum. AEW has not announced an opponent.
Renee Paquette brought Dragunov out after the AEW World Trios Championship match at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando. “It is my honor to introduce to you the newest member of All Elite Wrestling,” Paquette said. “Russian-born, German-raised Ilja Dragunov is All Elite.” Dragunov came out in a suit and walked around the ring. He did not wrestle or speak.
.@UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR HAS ARRIVED IN AEW! 🔥
Watch #AEWWrestleDream LIVE on PPV! pic.twitter.com/xgAQR6LoMZ
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) October 18, 2026
Khan confirmed the signing on X.
He has arrived in AEW tonight at #AEWWrestleDream, and now it’s official: @UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR is All Elite! pic.twitter.com/YXt0zbYrmW
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) October 18, 2026
Khan said at the scrum that he was not sure Dragunov’s visa would come through until Wednesday night, and was not sure Dragunov would be at WrestleDream until Friday night. AEW aired the first vignette for him, showing a wrestler training to a metronome, on Wednesday’s Dynamite/Collision, and posted a second on Friday saying the wrestler would debut the next day in Orlando.
Wednesday’s match will be Dragunov’s first since the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the April 17 SmackDown, before WrestleMania 42. His WWE contract expired in August, and in September Dave Meltzer reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that he had signed with AEW.
Dragunov is a former WWE United States Champion, NXT Champion and NXT United Kingdom Champion. He won the United States Championship from Sami Zayn on October 17, 2025, on SmackDown and lost it to Carmelo Hayes in December.
