Why Ilja Dragunov is a perfect fit for AEW: Another star who proves they are ‘where the best wrestle’

AEW

In August, Ilja Dragunov left WWE after his contract expire and a new deal could not be worked out with the company.

Then at AEW WrestleDream 2026, Dragunov finally made his debut in All Elite Wrestling to a huge pop from the fans.

Now that he has arrived, it is clear that “The Mad Dragon” belongs in this company.

Here are four potential reasons why Ilja Dragunov is the perfect fit for AEW.

Where The Best Wrestle

All Elite Wrestling is known as the company “where the best wrestle” over the past few years.

For years, Ilja Dragunov has been in the best wrestler in the world conversation thanks to his litany of classic matches with the likes of GUNTHER, JD McDonagh and Carmelo Hayes.

From his time on the indies and NXT UK to putting his name on the map in NXT and on the main roster, Dragunov has proven his intense style translate to matches that resonate with fans.

With a roster that includes Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega and Kyle Fletcher, Dragunov belongs in the same discussion as these stars and will further elevate the “where the best wrestle” moniker for the company.

Coming up on the independent wrestling

During the AEW WrestleDream 2026 post media scrum, Ilja Dragunov spoke with the media about signing with the promotion.

Dragunov discussed coming up on the independent scene and its importance to who he is today.

Since the very beginning of All Elite Wrestling, the company has embraced its roots coming from the indies.

Considering The Young Bucks, Ricochet and Jon Moxley have all paid respect to their time on the independent circuit, it feels like Dragunov is going back to his roots and will immediately garner respect for what he did before signing with WWE.

Choosing to leave WWE for AEW

Throughout the history of All Elite Wrestling, there have been former WWE stars who have chosen to sign with AEW instead.

From Jon Moxley to Bryan Danielson, the early years of AEW saw several top names from WWE who wanted to be part of this new company.

Now in their seventh year, the likes of Timeless Toni Storm and Ricochet have chosen to leave WWE and gained success with the move to Tony Khan’s promotion.

The track record of those who choose to leave WWE for AEW is so good that it bodes well for the future of what Ilja Dragunov can possibly do in his new home.

Laundry list of dream matches

Immediately upon Ilja Dragunov leaving WWE, most fans assumed he would head to All Elite Wrestling.

This is based on the amount of dream opponents that Dragunov can square off with on the AEW roster.

Considering the hard hitting intensity that has become the staple of Dragunov’s in-ring style, “The Mad Dragon” will have some mouth-watering dream matches in the months and years to come.

From Kenny Omega, Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada to Tommaso Ciampa, Andrade El Idolo and Swerve Strickland, there are so many different names that makes this move for AEW to bring in Dragunov a slam dunk in every sense of the words.

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• AEW
• Ilja Dragunov

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