Ilja Dragunov will make his AEW in-ring debut on the October 21 episode of Dynamite.
Tony Khan made the announcement during the WrestleDream post-show press conference on after Dragunov was revealed as AEW’s latest signing earlier in the pay-per-view.
Khan asked Dragunov whether he was ready to begin wrestling for the promotion on Wednesday.
“How about this Wednesday night? Based on what we said backstage, I think you’ve said you’re ready to start fighting this Wednesday night on Dynamite.”
No opponent was announced.
Dragunov later made his enthusiasm for getting started clear.
“At this point, just get me into a ring, please.”
At the press conference, Dragunov described his arrival in AEW as “very, very overwhelming” and “a new breath of fresh air.”
“The way I’ve got welcomed here, I know it feels just plainly right,” he said.
Asked which members of the AEW roster he wanted to wrestle, Dragunov named Jon Moxley, Samoa Joe and Kyle Fletcher before suggesting that the list extended much further.
A better question is who not. Like, for real, if I think about all the competitors here at AEW, it is hard to say who I do not want to wrestle.
Dragunov added that he was “starving for competition.”
Dragunov also discussed his decision to sign with AEW after his WWE contract expired in August.
He said that after almost 14 years in professional wrestling, he wanted an environment in which he could continue to bet on himself and satisfy his desire to compete.
Asked for his early impressions of AEW, Dragunov cited “freedom” and “trust,” describing the promotion as “a landscape of limitless opportunities.”
Khan also explained why AEW only began airing vignettes teasing Dragunov’s arrival in the days immediately before WrestleDream.
According to Khan, Dragunov informed him during Wednesday’s Dynamite that he would be able to collect his visa the following day. AEW had prepared the vignette in case his arrival needed to be delayed by another week or two, but accelerated the plans once his availability for WrestleDream became certain.
Khan said he had not wanted to promote Dragunov for the pay-per-view until the company knew he could attend.
