Ilja Dragunov, known as “The Mad Dragon,” has been a rising star in WWE since 2019, starting his journey in WWE NXT UK and eventually moving to WWE NXT in the United States in September 2022. He achieved the NXT Championship by defeating Wes Lee in September 2023, just before his one-year anniversary with the American NXT brand. Dragunov recently reminisced about his time in NXT and his close relationship with Shawn Michaels, a top figure in the organization. Dragunov praised Michaels as “influential” and “one of the greatest of all time.”
In a statement, Dragunov expressed his gratitude for the feedback and support he received from Michaels, emphasizing their shared vision and alignment in their ideas. He valued the opportunity to collaborate with Michaels, describing it as a positive experience that boosted his confidence in his in-ring performance and character portrayal.
Following his loss of the NXT Championship to Trick Williams after a 200-day reign, Dragunov moved to WWE Raw. Although he has not been prominently featured on Raw since his defeat in the King of the Ring tournament, Dragunov has been actively challenging World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER during WWE Live events leading up to Bash in Berlin.
– Ilja Dragunov began his WWE career in NXT UK before transitioning to NXT in the US.
– He captured the NXT Championship from Wes Lee in September 2023.
– Dragunov values his relationship with Shawn Michaels and credits him for guidance and support.
– After dropping the NXT Championship, Dragunov moved to WWE Raw.
– He has been challenging World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER on WWE Live shows.
