Ilja Dragunov, the current NXT World Champion, has recently expressed his admiration and respect for WWE Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, who he considers to be ‘one of a kind’. Dragunov and GUNTHER have a long history of rivalry, dating back to their days in the European independent scene, where they clashed in promotions such as wXw and PROGRESS Wrestling. They also had two epic matches in NXT UK, where Dragunov ended GUNTHER’s record-breaking 871-day reign as the NXT UK Champion in August 2021.
Dragunov spoke to Under The Ring about his relationship with GUNTHER and how he views him as a wrestler. He said:
When I think about it, I know he’s just one of a kind. Never, ever will somebody be like him — from his knowledge to his way to his style to everything.
Dragunov hopes to face GUNTHER again on a bigger stage
Dragunov also revealed that he hopes to face GUNTHER again on a bigger stage, such as WrestleMania, and that he believes it is their destiny to cross paths once more. He said:
I think it’s just destiny that we will meet again. And I hope that we will meet again on the biggest stage possible because I think we both deserve it. And I think the people deserve it because they know what we are capable of.
GUNTHER, who recently changed his ring name from WALTER, is currently the WWE Intercontinental Champion and a member of the RAW roster. He won the title from Shinsuke Nakamura at SummerSlam 2023 and has since defended it against the likes of Cesaro, Ricochet and Finn Balor. He is also in the midst of a historic title reign, as he broke the Honky Tonk Man’s 35-year-old record of 454 days as the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion earlier this month.
Dragunov is focused on defending his NXT World Championship
While Dragunov has his eyes on GUNTHER, he is also focused on defending his NXT World Championship, which he won from Carmelo Hayes at NXT TakeOver: WarGames 2022. He is set to face Hayes in a rematch at NXT No Mercy 2023 this Sunday in Bakersfield, CA. Dragunov said that he is ready for any challenge and that he wants to prove himself as the best wrestler in the world. He said:
I’m always ready for any challenge because I know that every challenge makes me better. And I want to be better. I want to be the best. And I want to show the world that I am the best.
Dragunov and Hayes will have a contract signing for their NXT World Championship match on tomorrow night’s episode of NXT.
