Ilya Rukober aka Ilja Dragunov is a Russian-born German wrestler, who as of now is signed with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Currently, Ilja Dragunov works in the developmental brand of the WWE called the NXT. He is a former NXT United Kingdom Champion. He is known and widely appreciated for his gritty and brutal wrestling style.
Before his journey as the WWE superstar began, he was a part of a wrestling promotion named Progress Wrestling, he made his official debut in a match against Pete Dunne, where Ilja was defeated by Pete Dunne. Ilja Dragunov defeated Jordan Devlin in a number one contender match for the Unified World Championship at Chapter 91 but was defeated by Walter (Gunther). In Progress Wrestling, Ilja wrestled many big matches but was not able to win the gold in his entire run with them.
He joined the WWE in 2019 and was put on the roster of NXT UK. He made his debut in a match against Jack Starz. His first big moment came when he faced Finn Balor at NXT Worlds Collide. In 2021, Ilja became the number-one contender for the NXT United Kingdom Championship by defeating Coffey and Brown in a triple-threat match. He defeated Walter (Gunther) for the NXT United Kingdom Championship thus ending the historic two-year reign of the ring general. On July 7, 2022, Ilja was forced to relinquish the championship because of an injury.
He made his highly anticipated return to NXT on 20 September 2022, where he had a face-off with the NXT Champion Bron Breakker and number one contender JD McDonagh. He faced Dijak at the NXT Battleground, the match was one of the best matches in the entire history of NXT, Both Dijak and Ilja gave their best, but Ilja was the one who came out victorious. After a few failed attempt to win the NXT Championship, Dragunov finally managed to win the title at NXT No Mercy against Carmelo Hayes.
Ilja Dragunov’s Height
The height of Ilja Dragunov is 5 feet 10 inches or 1.78 meters, and he weighs around 95 kg. He is known for his unique wrestling style, Ilja has delivered many matches that have been rated 5 stars by Dave Meltzer. His storyline with Walter (Gunther) is one of the best storylines in the entire history of NXT UK.
Ilja Dragunov’s Age
Ilja Dragunov is 30 years old, he was born on 10 October 1993 in Moscow, Russia. Ilja has not won many championships in his career, however, he is still widely considered one of the best professional wrestlers in the entire wrestling business.
Also Read: How old is Ilja Dragunov
Championships and Accomplishments
| Championship | Number of Times |
| NSW European Championship | 2 |
| wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship | 1 |
| wXw World Tag Team Championship | 3 |
| wXw Shotgun Championship | 2 |
| NXT United Kingdom Championship | 1 |
| NXT Championship | 1 |
FAQs
A: Ilja Dragunov's finishing move is the Torpedo Moskau, a high-flying headbutt.
A: Ilja Dragunov defeated Walter (Gunther) in a hard-hitting battle to become the new NXT UK Championship.
A: Ilja Dragunov was born on 10 October 1993 in Moscow, Russia. As of now, he is 30 years old.
A: Ilja Dragunov joined WWE in 2019 and was put on the roster of NXT UK.
A: Ilja Dragunov is a Russian-born German wrestler, who as of now is signed with the WWE.
A: Ilja Dragunov’s real name is Ilya Rukober.
