Ilja Dragunov is reportedly now a free agent after his WWE contract expired last week, and his status ahead of AEW All In: London is something that’s being heavily speculated leading into the event. AEW International Champion Kyle Fletcher added fuel to that fire when he posted a photo to X (formerly Twitter) of his 2019 match with Dragunov in PROGRESS Wrestling.
Fletcher spoke with The Sportster ahead of All In, and when asked about the possibility of facing Dragunov in an AEW ring in the future, the “Protostar” was excited. He said Dragunov is “incredible.”
“He brings this raw passion that you don’t get very often in pro wrestling,” Fletcher said. “It’s something that I feel I have now gotten to a point, where I’m in the ring, I feel that passionate, and when I get in there with someone who has that same passion for pro wrestling, that’s where magic happens. There’s been many people where I’ve gotten in the ring and I’ve had that feeling, and Ilja is one of those people. The thought of another match between us after everything that’s happened excites me very much.”
Fletcher and Dragunov have met in the ring multiple times outside of their singles match, including in a four-way match involving Cara Noir and Paul Robinson in PROGRESS at the beginning of 2020. Dragunov and WALTER, now known as GUNTHER in WWE, faced off against Fletcher and Mark Davis three times in wXw.
As for the possibility of Dragunov popping up in AEW, the company’s president, Tony Khan, said during an interview that Dragunov is an “excellent athlete” and someone he respects. Khan said he’s a “big admirer” of Dragunov’s work.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The Sportster and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Read the full article here
