“I never had the chance where I didn’t feel like I can’t bet on myself. And if I feel that this chance is limited and it gets more limited, and I feel like I’m getting stuck somewhere. Not because of external factors, just feeling stuck in general because I have this urge to fight. I really love to fight, and I want to compete and I want to step up. And if I feel that the air in a certain environment gets thinner for me, I need to breathe. That’s what I did today here. If I need a place to breathe new fresh air, see a new landscape and see what the world can offer to me to satisfy this hunger for competition.” - Ilja Dragunov (AEW WrestleDream post-show media scrum)

Ilja Dragunov was asked by @Cory_Hays407 who on the AEW roster he is looking forward to getting in the ring with: “That is a great question. A better question is, who not? For real, if I think about all the competitors here at AEW, it is hard to say who I do not want to wrestle. It starts with a Moxley, it goes on with a Joe, it goes on with a Fletcher, so many amazing competitors in that ring. Since I’m here and I went to this presentation in front of all of you, I feel like I’m starving. I’m starving for competition, and I know that whoever I will step up against has a serious problem because now I am here.” (AEW WrestleDream post-show media scrum)