Ilja Dragunov Exits WWE at 32 After Contract Expires

Q: Why did one of WWE's most decorated champions walk away from a new contract despite being completely healthy?

Ilja Dragunov appears to have left WWE by choice, not because of health concerns. Multiple reports, including PWInsider and Fightful, say WWE wanted to keep him, but he allowed his contract to expire and is now listed in the company’s alumni section. The clearest explanation from the available reporting is career direction. Dragunov had been healthy, training regularly, and there is no credible indication that injury issues pushed him out. Instead, reports say he had been largely absent from television since April, was not being discussed much backstage, and was seen by some within WWE as underused despite his reputation as one of the company’s best in-ring wrestlers. Several outlets pointed to WWE’s current analytics-heavy approach as a possible factor in that underuse. Reporting suggested Dragunov was not a priority in creative, had little merchandise support, and was not being featured consistently even after becoming one of the few wrestlers to win the NXT UK, NXT, and United States titles. That combination likely mattered more than his résumé. So while Dragunov has not publicly explained the decision himself, the evidence points to a simple reason: he was healthy, WWE wanted him back, but he did not see enough upside in staying under the role he was being given. With his contract expired, he now enters free agency as a proven high-level performer with options in AEW, NJPW, TNA, or elsewhere.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Aug 20

WWE shifted Ilja Dragunov’s profile to its alumni section on Thursday, confirming the former United States, NXT and NXT UK champion has left after his contract expired.
PW Insider reported the deal lapsed, ending a WWE run that began in February 2019 and produced a milestone in 2023 when he became the first wrestler to win both the NXT and NXT UK titles.
A torn ACL stalled his main-roster push after WrestleMania 40, but Dragunov returned to win the United States Championship from Sami Zayn in October 2025 before later losing it to Carmelo Hayes.
His last WWE TV appearance came in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on the SmackDown before WrestleMania 42, closing a stint that also included this year’s Royal Rumble.