Ilja Dragunov est officiellement All Elite Wrestling !
AEW had announced that WrestleDream 2026 would feature the culmination of vignettes revealing a new wrestler making his arrival. A competitor whose identity had been hidden, but all signs pointed toward Ilja Dragunov.
During WrestleDream 2026 on October 17, Renee Paquette stepped out onto the stage to announce the new All Elite wrestler joining the roster. It was at that moment that Ilja Dragunov’s music hit and he made his way to the ring.
The AEW debut of Ilja Dragunov to watch here:
Ilja Dragunov is officially All Elite!#AEWWrestleDream pic.twitter.com/Q2c9v6tS8b
— Catch-Newz (@CatchNewz) October 18, 2026
At the time of writing this article, his first match in AEW had not been announced. But one can imagine it taking place as soon as this week on Dynamite or perhaps on Collision. AEW tends to have its new signees debut quickly.
As you may know, Ilja Dragunov had decided to leave WWE to embark on a new adventure. He joined WWE in 2019 thanks to NXT UK and worked his way up to the main roster.
This new AEW chapter will be one to watch.
