WWE NXT Star Ilja Dragunov Details His Improvements As A Performer

With over 11 years of experience in wrestling, Ilja Dragunov is both a grizzled veteran and, at not even 30 years old, a performer with plenty left in the tank. The former NXT UK Champion has come a long way in those 11 years, becoming one of the most sought-after talents in Europe, a star in WWE's "NXT UK" and "NXT" brands, and a career rival to the current Intercontinental Champion, GUNTHER.

Naturally, one doesn't come as far as Dragunov has without some improvement over the course of his career. And in an interview with "Under the Ring," the Russian grappler chalked up his progress to experience, and being given the freedom to succeed and fail under his own merit and direction.

"I think I've improved a lot," Dragunov said. "This whole business is about the journey and about experience. And experience is something you can't buy, you can't learn, you've just got to make it. And this whole time, I was able to learn so many things. I was able to progress at so many levels, first of all, because of the trust that the right people always put into me.

"I always felt very free to do things my way, and other people responded to this, other people reacted to this, how much freedom they gave to me to just be myself, and to use strength to develop my character, to develop myself, to develop my performances. It was a beautiful time, it was a time with a lot hard work put in. I'm happy about every moment I got, and I learned so much. And only through this time, in this company, I became the person I am today, and I'm very, very proud of this person."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Under the Ring" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription