First AEW Feud For Ilja Dragunov After WWE Exit (& Factions He Could Join)

WWE

Ilja Dragunov is seemingly AEW-bound, having parted ways with WWE earlier this year, and his first feud will be one to watch.

According to a recent report, “barring unforeseen circumstances”, Ilja Dragunov is expected to join AEW although may not arrive with his whole ring name intact.

While a timeline is yet to be established for when he may first appear, with the star having been impacted by visa issues, it’s also not clear whether he would be debuting on Dynamite or as soon as Grand Slam: France on October 6.

What can be assured, however, is that Tony Khan will want to use the star in a meaningful way, with a number of stars likely on the list for a potential first feud:

Kyle Fletcher

In recent comments, Kyle Fletcher made his appreciation of Dragunov’s work clear and stated:

“The thought of another match between us after everything that’s happened excited me very much.”

Having last faced each other in early 2020, both stars have grown into entirely different beasts over six years later, arguably competing at an even higher level in the intervening years.

Will Ospreay

For professional wrestling fans, Ilja Dragunov vs. Will Ospreay would be a first-time encounter and one that would pit ‘The Mad Dragon’ against ‘The Aerial Assassin’.

In recent history, Ospreay has been exceedingly comfortable being pushed to his limits, physically and mentally, and Dragunov would be a natural extension of that.

HOOK

Not just as an opponent, but also as a recruitment test for Dragunov, facing HOOK would be an ideal match of styles and intensity when it comes to an AEW feud.

Arguably, Dragunov doesn’t need a faction to call his home, but it would be better to see the star in The Opps than being yet another member of the Don Callis Family.

Gabe Kidd

If we’re talking about ideal opponents and a potential recruitment drive, Gabe Kidd testing Dragunov for Death Riders would be a match to watch.

‘The Mad Dragon’ versus ‘The Mad Man’ has a nice ring to it, and both stars would no doubt go to extremes to come out on top, with the potential for this to be unrestrained fury at its finest.

The Continental Classic

Okay, not a feud, but something that Dragunov could fit into this November.

The Continental Classic has been announced for November 18 on AEW Dynamite, with December’s Worlds End seeing the final.

A twenty-minute time limit match would play into the sort of intensity that Dragunov is renowned for relishing. The incumbent champion is Jon Moxley, being yet another name that wouldn’t look out of place facing Dragunov, and the rest of the tournament is likely to comprise of the finest that AEW has to offer, giving potential for a solid showing across the board for the new star.

This would be, far and away, the easiest option to generate feuds for Dragunov, possibly by including all those named above.

The Lost Star

Dragunov exited WWE after seven years on August 20 of this year, with his contract expiring and the star opting not to renew the deal.

A former NXT Champion, NXT Champion and WWE United States Champion, the star had the potential to be a world championship contender, yet fell short during his tenure on the main roster, having been called up in 2024.

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• Ilja Dragunov
• AEW
• wwe

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