Ilja Dragunov left WWE after his contract expired, but his extended absence from television apparently did not mean the company had given up on him.
According to False Finish, WWE had plans to bring Dragunov back to TV shortly after SummerSlam, which was held on August 1 and August 2. Those plans never materialized, however, as his contract expired before a return could take place.
The report adds another layer to a situation that looked very different just weeks earlier. Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported on June 30 that Dragunov was expected to return “sooner than later.” After Dragunov’s departure was confirmed, Alvarez noted that WWE and the wrestler had still been negotiating heavily on a new deal that same month.
By all indications, WWE wanted to keep Dragunov under contract, but the former NXT Champion ultimately chose not to re-sign. What caused negotiations to break down between June and August remains unknown.
Dragunov had not competed since April 17, when he entered the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal on Friday Night SmackDown during WrestleMania 42 week. Even while off TV, he continued training, including sessions at Natalya and TJ Wilson’s Dungeon.
His last significant run on television began on October 17, 2025, when he returned from a lengthy injury layoff and defeated Sami Zayn for the United States Championship. Dragunov held the title for 70 days before dropping it to Carmelo Hayes on December 26.