AEW's Tony Khan Addresses WWE Departure Of Ilja Dragunov: 'That's A Great Wrestler'

Ilja Dragunov's WWE departure has naturally sparked discussion about his potential move to AEW, which CEO Tony Khan has addressed.

Dragunov's WWE contract has reportedly expired, and the rumor mill has been abuzz about him switching over to AEW. Khan, while talking to "TalkSport" ahead of AEW All In, praised the former WWE star but also acknowledged that he doesn't know Dragunov's contractual situation and will therefore stay quiet about it.

"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 eminently. So, I am a big admirer of his and will always be on the lookout to see what happens with him," said Khan.

According to reports, Dragunov's contract expired on August 18, so he is free to feature in any other promotion immediately. Reports have indicated that Dragunov's surprising exit from WWE was due to his pay, with the two parties reportedly far apart on how much he should be valued. WWE is rumored to have had plans to bring him back to television after the SummerSlam PLE, which ultimately didn't happen.

Dragunov could potentially return to Europe, where he made his name, but a recent report claimed that he may be too expensive for some of the promotions there. The same report, though, stated that UK-based PROGRESS Wrestling could bring him back to the promotion, where he wrestled from 2018 through 2022.