“Truly heartbreaking,” “Triple H needs to go” – Fans react to 3-time champion’s WWE departure

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By the end of the year, the former NXT UK Champion lost the title to Carmelo Hayes and continued working on the brand’s mid-card division until WrestleMania 42. After his last televised match in April 2026, Dragunov disappeared from the weekly product and didn’t compete at any live events.

Recently, Ilja Dragunov was moved to WWE’s alumni section, and a report later confirmed he’s leaving the Stamford-based promotion. Fans weren’t thrilled about it and reacted to the former NXT Champion’s exit from the company under Triple H’s creative regime.

It’ll be interesting to see what’s next for The Mad Dragon in the industry.

WWE reportedly wanted Ilja Dragunov to stay

A few years ago, Ilja Dragunov made a name for himself in the industry in a match against Walter, aka Gunther, for the NXT United Kingdom Championship. The Mad Dragon became the first person to get a victory over The Ring General via tapout on the developmental brand.

Dragunov later went on to become the NXT Champion after he moved to the United States. Moreover, he captured the United States Championship from Sami Zayn on his first night back on the weekly product in 2025. However, he wasn’t booked strongly following his interaction with Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble 2026.

According to the Wrestling Observer, Dragunov was in conversation with the company about signing another extension. However, everything fell through in June, and The Mad Dragon decided not to sign a new deal with WWE, leading to his departure from the company. He was recently moved to the alumni section on the company’s website.

Ilja Dragunov is in his early 30s, and his prime years are still to come as a performer in the industry. The Mad Dragon’s departure became a talking point amongst fans, and he might get signed by another wrestling promotion sooner rather than later.