Ilja Dragunov has only been in AEW for around a month and has already taken several trips down memory lane.
Dragunov faced Mike Bailey in his AEW debut on the October 21 Dynamite episode, which marked their second ever singles match against one another, following Dragunov previously defeating Bailey in the first round of the wXw 16 Carat Gold tournament in March 2016.
The Mad Dragon will also battle a former rival at Full Gear, with Dragunov set to challenge for Tommaso Ciampa’s National Championship.
Dragunov and Ciampa have shared the ring several times, with their most recent singles encounter ahead of this weekend seeing the Russian star defend the WWE US Championship against the Psycho Killer on the December 12, 2025 SmackDown episode.
There are plenty more former opponents who Ilja Dragunov could face in AEW, from indie rivals to ex-WWE foes.
Here are three more potential rematches for Ilja Dragunov in AEW.
Kyle Fletcher
There had been a lot of speculation about the possibility of a Dragunov vs Fletcher rematch even before Ilja’s AEW debut, with Fletcher previously expressing interest in the possibility of another clash.
Fletcher has more recently commented on this potential match, telling TMZ Inside The Ring:
“I think I would be incredibly disappointed if it never happened. I would like to think it will happen sooner rather than later.
“I think there’s a lot of magic to be made there, and whenever we get in the ring – I think it’s inevitable – I think it’ll be magic, too.”
In addition to several tag matches, Fletcher and Dragunov have had one singles match against one another, facing off at the December 30, 2019 PROGRESS Wrestling Chapter 100 event.
Roderick Strong
Ilja Dragunov and Roderick Strong have met twice in the ring, both times in one-on-one competition.
They first clashed on the August 17, 2021 NXT episode, with Dragunov defeating Strong after 12 minutes of action.
The rematch took place on English soil, with Strong unsuccessfully challenging for Dragunov’s WWE NXT UK Championship in a match which aired on April 7, 2022.
With both stars now part of the AEW roster, Strong would have the opportunity to avenge his previous losses, while the Mad Dragon would have the opportunity to reach the three-peat.
Claudio Castagnoli
Claudio Castagnoli vs Ilja Dragunov feels like one of those “too-good-to-be-true” dream match-ups which never end up happening, but these two stars have actually faced off once before.
The two European technicians battled it out on the August 21, 2019 NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff show, with “Cesaro” picking up the victory in just over 12 minutes.
A lot has happened in the years since, with Dragunov going on to win gold on NXT UK, NXT and SmackDown, and Castagnoli leaving WWE and establishing himself as a formidable competitor in AEW.
With both stars now All Elite, it feels inevitable that Castagnoli and Dragunov will have another showdown in the coming years.
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