Ilja Dragunov has reportedly signed with AEW and could be making his debut for the company in the near future.
Earlier this week, it was reported that Dragunov was expected to join AEW, although it was unclear at the time whether a deal had officially been finalized.
Dave Meltzer provided an update in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter at F4WOnline.com, reporting that Dragunov has now signed and is expected to begin with the company soon.
“As has been expected, Ilja Dragunov (Ilja Rukober, who turns 33 in a few weeks), has signed and should be starting very soon,” Meltzer wrote.
Meltzer noted that Tony Khan’s public comments about Dragunov in recent weeks appeared to point toward AEW having significant interest in the former WWE star.
“This was pretty apparent in August the way Tony Khan was talking about him but as he noted with the New Level, these deals often take weeks to finalize,” Meltzer continued.
“Obviously he’s a guy who can have great matches. But at this point they almost need more TV to facilitate such a large roster and keep people in the public eye.”
The previous report on Dragunov’s status noted that visa-related issues had affected the timeline for his next move, something that has also impacted other recent WWE departures.
Dragunov elected to leave WWE when his contract expired and therefore was not subject to a 90-day non-compete period.
That also allowed Khan to speak more openly about Dragunov than he typically would about someone still under contract elsewhere. While Khan stopped short of confirming that Dragunov was AEW-bound, the AEW President had publicly praised him and made no secret of his admiration for Dragunov’s work.
