Ilja Dragunov made his first AEW appearance at WrestleDream on Saturday, with the promotion unveiling him as its latest roster addition.
The reveal came immediately after Hangman Page, Bandido & Brody King captured the AEW World Trios Championship at Addition Financial Arena in Orlando, Florida.
Renee Paquette appeared on the entrance stage and said AEW was where “the best wrestle” before introducing the company’s newest signing.
A metronome then appeared on the screen, continuing the imagery used in AEW’s recent teasers.
The lights went out before Dragunov’s music played and the arena was bathed in red light. Dragunov emerged to a large reaction from the crowd and made his way to the ring.
He did not speak during the segment, instead posing in the ring and acknowledging the audience before heading backstage.
On commentary, Excalibur said Dragunov’s arrival would be enough to cause anxiety for every champion in AEW.
The appearance confirmed weeks of speculation surrounding Dragunov after imagery used in AEW vignettes had heavily pointed toward his arrival.
Dragunov parted ways with WWE after his contract expired in August, ending a seven-year run with the company.
During that tenure, he held the NXT UK Championship and NXT Championship before moving to the main roster in 2024. Dragunov missed approximately one year after suffering an injury before returning in October 2025 and defeating Sami Zayn for the United States Championship.
He lost that title to Carmelo Hayes in December and wrestled only sporadically in WWE during 2026 before his departure.
