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He would be treated better,” “He’s so boring


Fans have been discussing a former WWE United States Champion potentially joining AEW. Ilja Dragunav, one of the top stars of the global sports entertainment juggernaut, has had a questionable run in the company in 2026. He was sidelined due to a major injury in September 2024 and was out for over a year. After his return in October 2025, he was immediately crowned the United States Champion. Unfortunately, things changed once he lost his title in December.

The Mad Dragon has been involved in mediocre programs since this year. Moreover, he hasn’t been seen on TV since April 2026. Fans expected him to make a return at the King of the Ring tournament. But that wasn’t true. Fans recently questioned what WWE intend to do with him right now.

AEW is hot right now. Former WWE stars like Tommaso Ciampa, Ricochet, Swerve Strickland, and many others are thriving after becoming All Elite. Fans claimed that it seems like it may be time for him to switch sides, as he isn’t valued in the global sports entertainment juggernaut anymore.

While some fans opposed the idea of Ilja Dragunov joining All Elite Wrestling, the majority of them wanted the Mad Dragon. Fans even fantasised about him entering different AEW tournaments like Continental Classic.

Take a look at some of the fan reactions below:

@Noahgilberto19 Him in AEW or maybe New Japan would feed families

@Noahgilberto19 So worried for him rn, especially with smackdown going to 2 hours soon, can’t even get any tv time with 3 hours

@Noahgilberto19 Ilja in AEW would fit like a glove.

@Noahgilberto19 Continental classic is calling his name

@Noahgilberto19 He’s so boring. One of the reasons why i quit watching wwe

@Noahgilberto19 He would be treated better.

WWE star Trick Williams heaps praise on Ilja Dragunov

Trick Williams and Ilja Dradunov battled at NXT Vengeance Day in 2024, where the NXT Championship was on the line.

While speaking to Sports Illustrated, Trick Williams said that the former United States Champion pushed him to another level.

“I gotta say Ilja Dragunov man. I just happened to go back and watch those matches. Vengeance Day, the same day Melo turned on me and everything like that. And man, every single match I’ve had with Ilja Dragunov is just phenomenal. He pulled out a side of Trick Williams that I didn’t even know existed. You literally just in the ring and you going to fight. He demands that, and that’s what I needed to take my career to the next level,” he said.

It will be interesting to see what is next for the Mad Dragon.