Ilja Dragunov Discusses the Legends Who Shaped His Style

Ilja Dragunov, now wrestling under the AEW banner after his run in WWE, opened up about the wrestling legends who helped shape his famously physical, hard-hitting approach to the ring. Speaking with TMZ Sports, Dragunov touched on how several influences from wrestling’s past informed the stiff, hard-nosed style that has become his trademark.

Dragunov has built his reputation on matches that feel less like choreographed spectacle and more like genuine fights — a quality that made him a cult favorite during his time in WWE, particularly in NXT, where his collisions with opponents like Walter (now Gunther) are still regarded as some of the most intense brawls in recent memory. That same intensity has followed him into his new AEW chapter, and it’s clear from his comments that his style isn’t an accident — it’s the product of years spent studying and absorbing lessons from wrestlers he considers legends of the craft.

While the specifics of which performers he cited weren’t detailed, the acknowledgment itself is a meaningful glimpse into how deliberately Dragunov has crafted his in-ring identity. Wrestlers with his kind of visceral, stiff-contact style often draw criticism for being reckless, but Dragunov has consistently framed his approach as rooted in realism and emotional storytelling rather than recklessness for its own sake — the idea that every strike should mean something and every match should feel like a struggle with real stakes.

His arrival in AEW adds an intriguing new variable to a roster already stacked with hard-hitting, mat-based, and hybrid styles. Dragunov’s willingness to throw himself fully into physical confrontations should make him a natural fit for AEW’s willingness to let wrestlers tell stories through brutal, believable violence, in the mold of stars like Jon Moxley. Fans who followed his WWE tenure will be watching closely to see how his uncompromising style translates against a fresh set of opponents and inside a different creative environment.

The move from WWE to AEW is itself a notable pivot point in Dragunov’s career, and interviews like this one offer fans a window into how he’s approaching the transition — not just as a change of scenery, but as an opportunity to keep building on the philosophy that got him here in the first place. His comments suggest he sees his hard-hitting reputation as something earned through study and respect for those who came before him, rather than a gimmick built purely for shock value.

As Dragunov settles into his new promotion, it will be worth watching whether his influences manifest in new wrinkles to his already distinctive style, or whether he continues to lean into the same bruising, emotionally charged approach that made him a breakout star. Either way, his comments reinforce that his in-ring identity is built on more than just physicality — it’s a philosophy he’s clearly thought deeply about.