Ilja Dragunov Leaves WWE: REPORT
Well, this is interesting.
Ilja Dragunov, who is a one-time WWE United States champion, NXT champion and NXT UK champion, has made an exit from the sports entertainment giant.
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Dragunov’s profile was moved by WWE to its alumni section Thursday.
According to a report from PW Insider, Dragunov’s contract with WWE expired. (RELATED: Ceyair Wright Leaves Bengals To Pursue Film, Television Opportunities)
Dragunov inked a deal with WWE in February 2019 after performing for years in Progress Wrestling and other promotions in Europe, ultimately becoming the NXT UK Champion.
In September 2023, Dragunov beat Carmelo Hayes to win the NXT Championship, and accomplished a little history while at it. He became the first person in WWE to win the NXT and NXT UK Championship.
He went on to defeat Sami Zayn in October 2025 to win the WWE United States Championship.
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Now, here is the kicker that changes the entire complexion of this story.
According to a report from False Finish, this wasn’t a case of WWE quietly moving on or showing a talent the door. WWE reportedly wanted to keep Dragunov in the fold and made efforts to retain him, but “The Mad Dragon” himself decided to let his contract run out and walk away on his own terms.
In today’s landscape, very few performers willingly turn down the guaranteed machine that is WWE, especially someone who proved he could hold gold on both developmental and main-roster programming.
It’s a pretty interesting development, and I’m very curious to see what drove his decision.
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