SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Ilja Dragunov made his AEW last night on Dynamite, defeating “Speedball” Mike Bailey in the show’s main event. The positioning of Dragunov in the last match immediately put him on the map as someone who should be taken seriously by the fans and a threat to the major titles in the company.
Even when he was in WWE, Dragunov always seemed like a better fit for AEW. His hard-hitting, aggressive intensity is much closer stylistically to what AEW offers. In that way, Dragunov was a unicorn in WWE, which actually helped make his matches stand out even more. However, it was clear he was unlikely to get above a certain level on Raw or Smackdown.
With Dragunov now in AEW, there are a ton of enticing matchups for him. Here are a few that are high on my anticipation list:
-Jon Moxley: AEW’s resident hard hitter could meet his match with Dragunov. In fact, Dragunov would even fit in with the motif of the Death Riders should they look to add a new member.
-Claudio Castagnoli: These two could just end up trading chops and uppercuts for 15 minutes. I’d be fine with that.
-Konosuke Takeshita: Dragunov’s European offense melds well with the Japanese strong style, as does his selling. Takeshita would be able to give as well as he takes.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Podcast weekly Tuesday Flagship: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
-Nick Wayne: Wayne has recently found his stride as an overconfident, cocky heel who fans will want to see his comeuppance. They’ll also want to see him get bashed around and bruised by the violent Dragunov.
-Samoa Joe: An in-his-prime Samoa Joe vs. Dragunov would feed families in ROH or the indy scene back in the day. Even though Joe is a step slower, he still retains that aggressive nature and cockiness that is reflected in his ring work.
-Kyle O’Reilly: This would give Dragunov a little bit of a different work in an opponent who prefers to work holds. Dragunov’s facial reactions have been a strength and he could satisfactorily convey the pain that O’Reilly’s holds bring.
