The Horrible Moment That Ended Ilja Dragunov’s WWE Career

WWE is filled with underused wrestlers who don’t get the push they deserve. With so much time filled up by the usual parade of older main eventers like Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Cody Rhodes, superstars with immense talent fall through the cracks. Among them was Ilja Dragunov. After being such a success in NXT, Dragunov made a triumphant comeback from a brutal injury to become the United States Champion. It looked like the start of great things for Dragunov on SmackDown. Instead, that was his peak. This past week, Dragunov’s WWE contract expired, and after months of not being used on TV, he declined to re-sign. Sadly, it was all over for Ilja in TKO’s company long before that.

Ilja Dragunov Was Awe Inspiring on NXT and SmackDown

• Dragunov defeated Walter for the NXT United Kingdom Championship.
• He became the NXT Champion after returning from a leg injury.
• He defeated Sami Zayn for the United States Title on his first night on SmackDown.

The Russian Ilja Dragunov signed with WWE in 2019 after years of success in promotions like Westside Extreme Wrestling and Progress Wrestling. Ilja was placed in NXT UK, where he quickly became a major star. After a fantastic feud with Walter (now known as Gunther), he toppled the Ring General for the brand’s top prize, holding the NXT United Kingdom Championship for nearly a year before having to give it up due to a leg injury. When he came back, NXT UK was no more. Now Dragunov was in NXT, where he once again won a top title and became NXT Champion.

Dragunov was impressive enough in NXT that he was finally promoted to Raw in 2024, only to be injured again when he tore his ACL. That could have been it for him in WWE. Instead, a year later, he returned in surprising fashion to answer Sami Zayn’s United States Open Challenge, beating him in his first night back. Casual fans didn’t know who he was, but his talent quickly won them over. Two months later, he lost the midcard title to Carmelo Hayes. That was okay though. Hayes deserved a run too, and Dragunov certainly wasn’t going anywhere. Right?

Ilja Dragunov Was Humiliated by Brock Lesnar in the Royal Rumble

• After losing the United States Championship, WWE started to forget Dragunov.
• Brock Lesnar no sold his chops at the Royal Rumble and easily threw him over the top rope.
• It was an embarrassing moment that made Dragunov look like a weak jobber.

Sadly, that ended up being as good as it would ever get for Ilja Dragunov in WWE. Without the United States Championship around his waist, TKO and Triple H began to forget about him. Then came the moment that ruined his WWE career, a scene so humiliating that it made a path forward impossible.

At the 2026 Royal Rumble, Dragunov was the 17th man in the ring. Everyone knew he wasn’t going to win, but with his immense in-ring talent, he would certainly impress and had a chance to steal the show. Instead, he was absolutely humiliated. During the Royal Rumble, Dragunov encountered Brock Lesnar. The Russian stood his ground, delivering what should have been one brutal chop after another to the Beast’s chest. They had zero effect. Lesnar no sold the chops, then picked up Dragunov and threw him out of the ring with ease. Ilja is one of the greatest technical wrestlers in the business. WWE made him look like a weak jobber who couldn’t compete with the elite in any way. In just seconds, his WWE career may as well have been over.

In an interview with Adrian Hernandez, the host asked Dragunov about the moment, and how it felt to have fans stand up for him being disrespected. Dragunov was humble, speaking about how he got to be in the ring with Brock Lesnar, and how he brought the best fight possible to the Beast. If he was hurt by the match that had come to define his WWE run, he wasn’t showing it.

Ilja Dragunov Was Given Nothing To Do at WrestleMania 42

• Fans hoped for Gunther vs. Ilja Dragunov at WrestleMania 42.
• He lost in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
• Signing with AEW could remind fans how great of a wrestler Dragunov is.

After the Royal Rumble, Ilja Dragunov wasn’t around much. It was clear how bad things had gotten when he wasn’t even on the WrestleMania 42 card. When Gunther didn’t have a match for the biggest show of the year, many fans saw Dragunov as the perfect man to challenge him, renewing their rivalry with a decisive match. WWE went with Seth Rollins instead, while Dragunov lost in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown.

Dragunov didn’t wrestle on SmackDown for months, not because of any injury, but because Triple H and TKO looked at him and didn’t see a star. He’s 5″10″, he doesn’t have catchphrases, he doesn’t joke on the mic. Ilja Dragunov is a professional wrestler, not a sports entertainer. WWE didn’t see how he was winning fans over with his old school style and they gave up on him.

Thankfully, Dragunov saw his self-worth and got to walk away, rather than having his contract continuing on for years. Now, perhaps in AEW, he’ll get to shine and show everyone who he truly is. Ilja Dragunov is so much more than an embarrassing Royal Rumble showdown with Brock Lesnar.