WWE has announced an injury to former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov that will keep him out of action for the next 6 to 9 months.
The Russian pro wrestler worked Saturday’s WWE Live Event from Columbus Civic Center in Columbus, Georgia. He squared off against the World Champion Gunther on the show.
While Dragunov failed to win the bout, his performance impressed the audience. The former NXT star got a standing ovation from the crowd after the bout.
The match brought even more bad fortunte for Ilja Dragunov unfortunately. WWE revealed on the latest episode of Raw that he is suspected to have suffered a torn ACL in the bout, and the medical team believes it will be at least 6 months before he returns to the ring:
Ilja Dragunov’s WWE run
Ilja Dragunov was signed by WWE back in 2019 and he spent the next 5 years in development. The 30-year-old was first assigned to NXT UK where he ended the 2-year long title reign of Gunther. Moving to the main NXT brand in mid-2022, Dragunov found more success and he had a long run with the NXT Championship.
He was finally called up to the main roster as part of the 2024 Drafts this past April. Dragunov has competed in a number of high-profile matches since then.
The 6 to 9 months return timetable puts his expected return date sometimes between April to June next year. This means Dragunov will be forced to miss events such as Survivor Series, Royal Rumble, and most likely WrestleMania 41 as well.
WrestlingIP wishes a speedy recovery to Ilja Dragunov
