Ilja Dragunov is reportedly expected to join AEW following his WWE departure, although a contract has yet to be confirmed.

According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, AEW has been Dragunov’s intended destination for some time. The remaining details are understood to involve administrative matters, with the move expected to happen unless something unforeseen changes those plans.

The reported delay centres on immigration issues rather than contract negotiations. Fightful notes that several international wrestlers who left WWE this year have faced visa complications, with Dragunov among those affected.

There is also uncertainty over whether he will continue using his full wrestling name. Ilja is his given name, but his ability to use Dragunov remains unclear, despite having performed under that name before joining WWE.

The latest update strengthens Fightful’s earlier reporting. Three weeks ago, industry sources believed AEW was his likely destination, but that was described as a hunch rather than a concrete agreement. At that stage, nobody within AEW contacted for the report had heard that a deal was in place.

Dragunov left WWE in August after deciding against renewing his contract. PWInsider reported his departure on August 20, after he was removed from the company’s internal roster. WWE also moved his profile to its alumni section.

Dave Meltzer subsequently reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the two sides were significantly apart on money. According to that report, WWE stopped using Dragunov on television in April, with the internal view being that he was an excellent wrestler but did not generate the numbers to justify his asking price.

As his contract expired, Dragunov was not subject to a 90-day non-compete clause. He has reportedly been free to sign elsewhere since August 20 but has yet to appear for another promotion.

His final WWE television appearance came in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the April 17 episode of SmackDown, which Royce Keys won. His last singles match was a defeat to Carmelo Hayes on March 30.

Dragunov had returned the previous October after spending more than a year recovering from a torn ACL suffered during a live event match. He made an immediate impact, answering Sami Zayn’s open challenge and winning the United States Championship in his first match back.

His subsequent absence from television also left colleagues looking for answers. Fightful reported that several wrestlers contacted him over the summer, including people he had trained with, but had not been told what was happening with his situation.

Dragunov joined WWE in February 2019 and made his NXT UK debut that May. He became NXT United Kingdom Champion and established a memorable rivalry with Gunther before moving to NXT in Orlando in September 2022.

He won the NXT Championship in September 2023 and was drafted to Raw in 2024.

Before WWE, Dragunov built his reputation through Germany’s wXw and the United Kingdom’s PROGRESS. He appeared at a wXw event in Hamburg in May, and sources within the promotion told Fightful they were surprised by his WWE exit, having expected more from his main roster run.

Neither AEW nor Dragunov has announced a signing.