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A recent report has shed light on the potential timeline of a popular WWE Superstar's return from injury. The star has been away from the squared circle for six months.
Former NXT Champion Ilja Dragunov suffered an injury in September 2024 that forced him out of action. He suffered a torn ACL during a World Heavyweight Championship match against Gunther at a House Show.
Earlier this year, Dragunov was reportedly spotted at the WWE Performance Center in his workout gear. However, according to a recent report from PWNexus, the 31-year-old would be away for nearly another six months. The Mad Dragon will tentatively return to action on Monday Night RAW in September.
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Ilja Dragunov opens up about his WWE journey
Ilja Dragunov signed with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2019. He was an integral part of NXT UK and then NXT before his move to the main roster last year.
During his appearance on WWE's The Bump before joining the red brand, Dragunov noted how coming to the States all alone had been very tough on him. The former NXT Champion added that he was a family person and missed his son. Ilja stated that he had been a self-motivator all his life, and despite all the hardships, he kept pushing forward.
"It is a complicated time for me because I am a family person. And coming over alone, have this entire change of my life, is definitely not easy for me. But I was always the kind of person since the very beginning of my life that I always had the skill to motivate myself...I give myself this inside motivation every day. Even being alone, even feel solitude. Even like missing my son desperately, I know what I am doing this for and my reasons are so powerful, they push me every single day," he said. [1:00:50 onwards]
You can check out the following video for Ilja Dragunov's comment:
Ilja Dragunov's last televised match was on the September 9 edition of Monday Night RAW, where he wrestled Jey Uso, Braun Strowman, and Pete Dunne in a Fatal Four-Way match. The YEET Master secured the win to become the number one Contender for the Intercontinental Championship.
It will be interesting to see when Ilja Dragunov returns to WWE programming following his injury hiatus.
