Tony Khan responds to Ilja Dragunov rumours at ROH Death Before Dishonor press conference

Tony Khan addressed the prospect of Ilja Dragunov joining All Elite Wrestling during the post-show press conference following ROH Death Before Dishonor on August 21, one day after Dragunov’s WWE contract expired on August 20. Khan praised Dragunov but did not confirm any negotiations with AEW.

Ilja Dragunov’s departure from WWE has generated speculation about his next destination, with AEW among the promotions mentioned. Dragunov became a free agent when his WWE contract expired on August 20. At the post-show press conference Khan described Dragunov as a “tremendous” wrestler and later expanded on his remarks in an interview with TalkSPORT, saying: “Well, I can’t speak about the contractual status of wrestlers outside of the promotion because I don’t know everyone’s contract. There’s no way for me to keep track of all that, but I do know that that’s a great wrestler. That’s somebody that is a very excellent athlete and somebody that has competed at a very high level and somebody who I respect imminently. I am a big admirer of his and I will always be on the lookout to see what happens with him.”

There is currently no confirmation that Dragunov is negotiating with AEW. Fightful Select reported that sources within AEW had received no indication that Dragunov was headed to the promotion, and industry commentary has treated any potential signing as speculation rather than a confirmed development.

Dragunov’s profile as a free agent has drawn attention because of his in-ring style and reputation. The article notes his intensity, athleticism, and reputation for delivering hard-hitting matches as factors that would make him an attractive addition to a major promotion.

The 31-year-old has not wrestled since April 17, when he competed in the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on SmackDown and was eliminated by Aleister Black. With his WWE contract expired, Dragunov is now free to explore opportunities elsewhere and could appear for another promotion immediately.

AEW remains among the potential destinations mentioned publicly because of Khan’s stated admiration for Dragunov’s work, but nothing has been finalised. There has been no confirmation of an AEW deal or ongoing negotiations.