AJ Styles Admits He is Very Sad That WWE SmackDown Star Has Left the Company

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The Wrestling Observer Newsletter later reported that Dragunov and WWE were far apart on contractual pay. Hence, the two sides decided not to proceed with a new agreement. The development shocked fans because Dragunov was widely expected to make his return following SummerSlam 2026. However, the comeback never materialized.

On The AJ Styles Show, the former WWE Champion said he was unaware of the backstage details of Dragunov’s exit and added that he was upset about the situation.

“I don’t know anything about it. I know that I’m very sad about this situation. I enjoy his work very much. So I don’t know what’s going on. I can’t say much about it because, again, you’d think I’d know. I work for the company, but my place is in the coaching and the talent and little things to hopefully help make WWE better and build that foundation for them with the younger talent and stuff like that. So, I don’t know what was going on. I just know (…) ‘Holy cr*p.’ That’s about all I know,” Styles said.

The Phenomenal One showered praise on The Mad Dragon, saying he enjoyed his in-ring work.

“We’re gonna have to wait and see what he says about the situation when he’s able to talk about it. Then we’ll all know the truth because we can speculate everything at what this is. The truth is we don’t know. I’ll be the first one to tell you I thought the guy was awesome,” Styles said. [H/T: Figure Four Wrestling]

You can watch the full show below.

Ilja Dragunov could sign with AEW after WWE departure

Ilja Dragunov wasn’t released by World Wrestling Entertainment. His contract expired, and the two sides decided not to renew it. As a result, Dragunov doesn’t have a 90-day non-compete clause. He can immediately sign with any promotion of his choosing.

There is widespread speculation about the former NXT Champion’s pro wrestling future. Amid the chatter, Fightful reported that promoters in Europe were expecting Dragunov to join AEW. Moreover, he is unlikely to return to the independent circuit following his departure from the sports entertainment juggernaut. It will be interesting to see what’s next for The Mad Dragon.