Biography

Ilja Rukober is a Russian-German professional wrestler, better known by his ring name Ilja Dragunov. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), making his debut at WrestleDream in October 2026 after a seven-year run with WWE. During his time in WWE, Dragunov established himself as one of the company’s most intense and accomplished competitors, becoming NXT Champion, NXT United Kingdom Champion, and WWE United States Champion. His acclaimed rivalry with Walter spanned multiple promotions, with Dragunov eventually ending Walter’s historic NXT United Kingdom Championship reign in 2021. Prior to WWE, Dragunov became a standout on the European independent circuit, particularly in Westside Xtreme Wrestling (wXw), where he won the 16 Carat Gold tournament and became the first wrestler to complete the wXw Triple Crown, holding the Unified World Wrestling Championship, World Tag Team Championship three times, and Shotgun Championship twice. His rise continued internationally, and in 2024 he was ranked No. 30 in the Pro Wrestling Illustrated 500.