"This is not the end for me" - Ilja Dragunov on what's next for him after defeating WALTER at WWE NXT TakeOver 36

Ilja Dragunov is the new WWE NXT UK Champion, and he is ready to create his own legacy through his reign as champion by taking things to a new level.

At NXT TakeOver 36, WALTER and Ilja Dragunov locked horns in a violent encounter which saw both men try to break each other's bodies. The 22-minute slugfest took a toll on both competitors; by the end of the bout, their bodies were covered in bruises and scars. Dragunov ultimately locked in a sleeper hold and lifted WALTER off the ground, leaving the Austrian no choice but to submit.

Speaking with Lucha Libre Online's Michael Morales Torres, Dragunov opened up on his match against WALTER and discussed his plans as the reigning WWE NXT UK Champion.

"The first thing I thought was: ‘You need to get better,'" said Dragunov. "As simple as that. This a very nice happy end to an emotional story, but this is not the end for me. I got to think about what’s the next level. I have to be prepared. I want to create my own legacy."

"What WALTER did was outstanding," Dragunov continued. "What a dominant reign! But my reign is going to be another legacy. A legacy with a symbol like I am; a completely non comparable one. This is something I definitely need to prepare for, and this is the reason why I am already working in my mind the next steps for me."

Ilja Dragunov and WALTER's rivalry in WWE

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️@UNBESIEGBAR_ZAR dethrones @WalterAUT in an all-time classic to become the NEW #NXTUK Champion!#NXTTakeOver pic.twitter.com/8KJh8iqiu4

— WWE (@WWE) August 23, 2021

WALTER and Ilja Dragunov have been rivals for a long time, even before they came to WWE. Once they joined the company, the tensions between them only grew. Last October, Dragunov challenged WALTER to a match for the NXT UK Championship. In an instant classic, Dragunov took WALTER to the limit, but he failed to win the title.

The loss took a toll on Dragunov, and he was kept away from the title picture for a while. The two stars remained far from each other for several months until there was no challenger left for WALTER, so a rematch was set between the champion and the competitor who tested him more than anyone else.

At WWE NXT TakeOver 36, Dragunov finally conquered his toughest rival in wrestling and won the WWE NXT UK Championship in doing so. Moving forward, he's the man to beat on NXT UK.

What do you make of Dragunov's win over WALTER? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.