WEBVTT 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:12.359 Good Wednesday morning and welcome to good news 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:15.820 York. I am your host Mike brindisi Follow me 00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:18.739 on all socials that might be TV. We are sponsored 00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:22.820 by ads on the go get ads on the go .com I am 00:00:22.820 --> 00:00:26.059 alone again. Now, why am I alone? Well, here's 00:00:26.059 --> 00:00:28.420 the deal First of all, as you can see, I've got 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:31.500 some WWE belts here. No, I'm not going to get 00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:33.539 into a match I already did that that's why Matt's 00:00:33.539 --> 00:00:35.659 not here. I suplexed him in the parking lot. 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:39.840 He's out of commission I am beyond excited. My 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:44.320 adolescent self is through the roof as I get 00:00:44.320 --> 00:00:48.219 to interview a WWE superstar right here on Good 00:00:48.219 --> 00:00:51.500 News York this morning. He is a one time NXT 00:00:51.500 --> 00:00:55.820 United Kingdom champion, a one time NXT champion, 00:00:56.280 --> 00:00:59.299 and the current WWE United States champion after 00:00:59.299 --> 00:01:02.759 defeating Sami Zayn in his return match after 00:01:02.759 --> 00:01:06.469 a year long absence. CBS Sports gave him match 00:01:06.469 --> 00:01:09.969 of the year in 2020 and ESPN ranked number 26 00:01:09.969 --> 00:01:12.810 of the best, the 30 best pro wrestlers under 00:01:12.810 --> 00:01:15.549 30 in 2023. He's gonna be featured as one of 00:01:15.549 --> 00:01:19.329 the WWE superstars at the WWE Live Holiday Tour 00:01:19.329 --> 00:01:21.689 at the Upstate Medical Arena at On Center right 00:01:21.689 --> 00:01:25.469 here in Syracuse on January 1st, 2026. Give it 00:01:25.469 --> 00:01:30.879 up for Ilja Dragunov. Ilja, how are you? I'm 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:33.799 great. Thanks for asking. How are you? I'm great. 00:01:34.959 --> 00:01:41.540 Very excited to talk to you. As a WWE fan, on 00:01:41.540 --> 00:01:44.599 and off throughout my life, I have so much admiration 00:01:44.599 --> 00:01:46.700 for what you guys do and getting a chance to 00:01:46.700 --> 00:01:51.060 talk to you is really exciting. Your story is 00:01:51.060 --> 00:01:55.250 awesome. I want to start. with how it all began, 00:01:55.730 --> 00:01:58.409 you were born in Moscow, Russia, but you migrated 00:01:58.409 --> 00:02:00.730 to Dresden, Germany at five with your mother. 00:02:01.609 --> 00:02:05.049 And neither of you knew any of the German language 00:02:05.049 --> 00:02:08.030 when you moved there. Do you do you have memories 00:02:08.030 --> 00:02:11.490 of that time? And how did you guys adapt to that? 00:02:12.430 --> 00:02:17.250 I mean, like, thanks for in the first place to 00:02:17.250 --> 00:02:19.389 pointing out my story, because it's a story that 00:02:19.389 --> 00:02:22.870 is very, very emotional and deep to me. And like 00:02:22.870 --> 00:02:26.400 I can I Lot of hearts to this. So I remember 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:29.659 I remember a lot like especially like before 00:02:29.659 --> 00:02:31.800 a kid is probably easy because I picked up on 00:02:31.800 --> 00:02:35.240 the German language quick because kid children 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:38.180 are way easier to learn this by especially Talking 00:02:38.180 --> 00:02:41.699 about my mom. My mom is my hero for me She is 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:47.000 she came to Germany. She was a teacher in in 00:02:47.000 --> 00:02:50.719 Russia had was a university everything and it 00:02:50.719 --> 00:02:54.229 heard it heard the most because she her degrees 00:02:54.229 --> 00:02:57.050 that she made in Russia weren't accepted in Germany. 00:02:57.409 --> 00:03:01.250 So she basically had two choices. Either she's 00:03:01.250 --> 00:03:04.530 going to just take a job, whatever there is possible. 00:03:04.610 --> 00:03:10.650 But my mom actually went back to school, started 00:03:10.650 --> 00:03:14.930 to learn the German language. She went to university 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:20.449 after this. Again, studying English as a language. 00:03:21.110 --> 00:03:24.830 but with German instructions, while still not 00:03:24.830 --> 00:03:28.129 fully speaking German. And she got her degree 00:03:28.129 --> 00:03:31.430 for that one. And nowadays she's a teacher in 00:03:31.430 --> 00:03:35.889 adult education. And just looking back at her, 00:03:36.310 --> 00:03:39.349 struggling with the language and the amazing 00:03:39.349 --> 00:03:42.330 path that she did, the passion, the willpower, 00:03:43.189 --> 00:03:47.759 just the sheer veracity, like... You ask yourself 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:50.419 why I performed the way I performed today. It 00:03:50.419 --> 00:03:52.379 is definitely a dedication to my mom as well. 00:03:52.580 --> 00:03:55.159 That's a beautiful answer, man. And you know, 00:03:55.180 --> 00:03:59.340 I was actually gonna say, if people have seen 00:03:59.340 --> 00:04:02.759 you wrestle, you wrestle with such passion and 00:04:02.759 --> 00:04:06.360 everything you do in WWE is done with such passion 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:10.199 and drive. And I feel like when you're brought 00:04:10.199 --> 00:04:14.550 up that way to really earn everything, that comes 00:04:14.550 --> 00:04:17.050 your way, you know, and migrating to a new country 00:04:17.050 --> 00:04:19.389 and just having to basically start from scratch. 00:04:19.490 --> 00:04:22.069 It just it builds your character and you can 00:04:22.069 --> 00:04:25.550 you can see that in your performance. I know 00:04:25.550 --> 00:04:28.870 you you also help provide for the family. You 00:04:28.870 --> 00:04:30.370 worked a couple of different jobs. I know you 00:04:30.370 --> 00:04:34.170 worked at a gas station, pizza place. So at what 00:04:34.170 --> 00:04:36.389 at what point is professional wrestling kind 00:04:36.389 --> 00:04:38.870 of come come across your radar? And, you know, 00:04:38.910 --> 00:04:41.209 how did that happen? And, you know, when did 00:04:41.209 --> 00:04:44.519 you know, like, hey, That's what I wanna do. 00:04:45.860 --> 00:04:48.560 I think pretty much from the beginning. I mean, 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:50.560 yeah, you mentioned the jobs, but honestly, this 00:04:50.560 --> 00:04:52.360 is like not even worth managing because for me, 00:04:52.379 --> 00:04:55.420 it's like the bare minimum. To know how the real 00:04:55.420 --> 00:04:58.160 life works and how to work a job is a part of 00:04:58.160 --> 00:05:00.600 being an adult. And I tried to learn this pretty 00:05:00.600 --> 00:05:03.759 fast. A little bit also overdo it because it 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.720 didn't work pretty well with having school and 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:09.420 the same things at the same time sometimes, but 00:05:09.420 --> 00:05:12.009 this is a different topic. with professional 00:05:12.009 --> 00:05:15.230 wrestling it started by accident literally like 00:05:15.230 --> 00:05:17.990 because i remember the first time it was literally 00:05:17.990 --> 00:05:21.490 some connection with a friend they had a i don't 00:05:21.490 --> 00:05:23.870 remember the the city anymore either it's freital 00:05:23.870 --> 00:05:25.949 or heidenau there was a small gymnasium where 00:05:25.949 --> 00:05:29.449 they just played wrestling on a mat so this was 00:05:29.449 --> 00:05:31.189 basically the start of it and i kind of liked 00:05:31.189 --> 00:05:34.389 it so and i was searching for something that 00:05:34.389 --> 00:05:37.889 catches my interest anyway but when this this 00:05:37.889 --> 00:05:40.509 was thing was going on a little bit but Through 00:05:40.509 --> 00:05:45.829 this thing, we actually met a German professional 00:05:45.829 --> 00:05:51.449 wrestler that later, a few years later, opened 00:05:51.449 --> 00:05:54.410 up the first wrestling school in Dresden, in 00:05:54.410 --> 00:05:56.970 Germany, the town that I grew up in Germany. 00:05:58.310 --> 00:06:03.709 And I was definitely willing to give it a try. 00:06:03.990 --> 00:06:07.149 And I realized after taking horrible bumps on 00:06:07.149 --> 00:06:08.910 very thin mats, because we didn't have a ring 00:06:08.910 --> 00:06:12.180 at the beginning, that and having my first performances 00:06:12.180 --> 00:06:16.579 that this is my thing and this is my thing because 00:06:16.579 --> 00:06:20.920 all the expressive energy that I carry in myself 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:22.660 that you can see in my matches with the faces 00:06:22.660 --> 00:06:25.839 that I make and the screams that I do and the 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:29.399 physicality and everything it covers all these 00:06:29.399 --> 00:06:32.540 nuances that I wanted to express and because 00:06:32.540 --> 00:06:36.939 it gives me the platform to express my true me 00:06:36.939 --> 00:06:40.470 and maximize it I Couldn't stop when I started. 00:06:41.009 --> 00:06:44.810 Yeah, you know, I love that about you that, you 00:06:44.810 --> 00:06:46.689 know, you've gone on record saying that, you 00:06:46.689 --> 00:06:49.930 know, the character of Ilya Dragunov really is 00:06:49.930 --> 00:06:54.310 just you maximized times 11. And you can see 00:06:54.310 --> 00:06:56.769 that in your performance. And I bet, you know, 00:06:56.810 --> 00:07:00.029 I bet taking bumps in the gym, you know, in Germany 00:07:00.029 --> 00:07:03.170 and going to the ring, I'm assuming that was 00:07:03.170 --> 00:07:06.430 that felt like nothing compared to what you were 00:07:06.430 --> 00:07:11.269 used to taking. So when I watch you wrestle you 00:07:11.269 --> 00:07:13.069 as we talked about you like you're so unique 00:07:13.069 --> 00:07:16.709 in that You're very aggressive on your attack 00:07:16.709 --> 00:07:20.089 and but more importantly what I noticed And it's 00:07:20.089 --> 00:07:21.870 kind of an underrated character. I feel like 00:07:21.870 --> 00:07:25.509 with professional wrestlers is you sell it better 00:07:25.509 --> 00:07:28.790 Than than most wrestlers I've seen in recent 00:07:28.790 --> 00:07:31.470 years and and that is a that's a huge compliment 00:07:31.470 --> 00:07:33.310 You know that was one of the best things about 00:07:33.310 --> 00:07:36.449 Ric Flair right was Ric Flair made the other 00:07:36.449 --> 00:07:39.709 guy just look incredible because he could sell 00:07:39.709 --> 00:07:42.850 it. And I see that in you. So I have two questions. 00:07:43.149 --> 00:07:47.329 One is, was Ric Flair one of your main influences? 00:07:47.990 --> 00:07:52.329 And if not, who was? Well, first of all, thank 00:07:52.329 --> 00:07:54.329 you for putting me in the same sentence with 00:07:54.329 --> 00:07:58.050 an all -time great legend like Ric Flair. So 00:07:58.050 --> 00:08:01.170 thanks for that. I don't even know what to say, 00:08:01.329 --> 00:08:04.860 but like, coming back to your question. Rick 00:08:04.860 --> 00:08:06.519 Flair definitely, like if you're a student of 00:08:06.519 --> 00:08:10.740 the game, you definitely watch the incredible 00:08:10.740 --> 00:08:13.560 work and the incredible masterpieces that Rick 00:08:13.560 --> 00:08:17.819 Flair put on the stage, put into the ring. Definitely 00:08:17.819 --> 00:08:19.720 one of my big inspirations. I mean, I have a 00:08:19.720 --> 00:08:23.120 lot of inspirations. There was recently a question 00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:28.660 about my dream Survivor series team, and there 00:08:28.660 --> 00:08:31.660 were other guys in there, wonderful performers. 00:08:32.009 --> 00:08:34.950 uh talking about William Regal talking about 00:08:34.950 --> 00:08:38.110 Terry Funk talking about Roddy uh Roddy Piper 00:08:38.110 --> 00:08:41.929 yes those I mean if there's something that you 00:08:41.929 --> 00:08:46.350 know about these fighters it is passion and uh 00:08:46.350 --> 00:08:49.289 this is something that always clicked with me 00:08:49.289 --> 00:08:52.149 physicality is something that people will always 00:08:52.149 --> 00:08:58.509 believe always if they and those these performers 00:08:58.509 --> 00:09:03.220 were like just unapologetically themselves, especially 00:09:03.220 --> 00:09:05.840 like when you talk about Roddy Piper. And this 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:08.960 is something that I take for myself because I 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:10.720 think about persona something is very specific. 00:09:11.500 --> 00:09:15.980 People either really love what I do or they think 00:09:15.980 --> 00:09:18.820 it's the cringiest thing ever and they laugh 00:09:18.820 --> 00:09:23.220 about it. But that is exactly what I appreciate 00:09:23.220 --> 00:09:25.200 about both sides because that's what I want to 00:09:25.200 --> 00:09:28.360 have because if they wouldn't care about me at 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:30.230 all, that would be horrible. That's right. But 00:09:30.230 --> 00:09:33.149 if I'm polarizing people, I don't want to be 00:09:33.149 --> 00:09:35.470 everyone's darling, as much as I don't want to 00:09:35.470 --> 00:09:38.330 be everyone's friend in this life. But if I'm 00:09:38.330 --> 00:09:42.570 polarizing people, that's, I believe, is the 00:09:42.570 --> 00:09:45.690 formula. And at the end of the day, hey, I don't 00:09:45.690 --> 00:09:49.669 lie. I am myself. There's everything I can do. 00:09:50.769 --> 00:09:54.950 I think that's why you are so lovable as a person 00:09:54.950 --> 00:09:57.450 and as your character, because you can tell. 00:09:58.129 --> 00:10:01.309 What you see is what you get, you're very real. 00:10:02.509 --> 00:10:05.129 And I think personally, I think that's a great 00:10:05.129 --> 00:10:08.029 place to live where people either they love you 00:10:08.029 --> 00:10:11.009 or they hate you. And WWE, that's the magic sauce. 00:10:12.049 --> 00:10:14.509 Now, like I said, you're so aggressive. It's 00:10:14.509 --> 00:10:18.610 so awesome to watch your matches. Has the WWE 00:10:18.610 --> 00:10:21.570 brass ever had to come to you and be like, hey, 00:10:21.710 --> 00:10:23.690 can you back it off a little bit? And would you 00:10:23.690 --> 00:10:25.649 even be able to back it off if they told you 00:10:25.649 --> 00:10:28.600 to? Okay, these are a couple of questions. First 00:10:28.600 --> 00:10:31.559 of all, I think you know it as well. I just came 00:10:31.559 --> 00:10:34.419 back from a long injury at this point. I apologize 00:10:34.419 --> 00:10:38.000 to the entire medical department of WWE because 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:42.960 it was not easy to be around me because I always 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:46.299 wanted too much and too fast and I apologize 00:10:46.299 --> 00:10:48.100 at that point of time. No, like I don't think 00:10:48.100 --> 00:10:50.100 that ever somebody came to me. I think this is 00:10:50.100 --> 00:10:52.259 like one of my assets that is very unique to 00:10:52.259 --> 00:10:55.990 me. I mean like my friends other my true friends 00:10:55.990 --> 00:10:58.330 on the regular base come up to me and to and 00:10:58.330 --> 00:11:01.549 say like tone it down relax a little bit more 00:11:01.549 --> 00:11:04.830 but then again it is the real me this i couldn't 00:11:04.830 --> 00:11:08.029 do it if i can't do it my way and this is something 00:11:08.029 --> 00:11:12.590 i think that is a part of me i mean like some 00:11:12.590 --> 00:11:14.909 things that i that i take are physically definitely 00:11:14.909 --> 00:11:18.309 more demanding but but i'm also kind of like 00:11:18.309 --> 00:11:21.809 i recover pretty fast yeah it hurts But I recover 00:11:21.809 --> 00:11:29.350 very fast, so I can pull it off. Well, I mean, 00:11:29.870 --> 00:11:34.169 look, another amazing part of your story are 00:11:34.169 --> 00:11:37.570 the injuries. So you got drafted to Raw in 2024, 00:11:37.830 --> 00:11:39.710 and you tore your ACL, which is widely known. 00:11:39.990 --> 00:11:43.169 You come back in October 25. You defeat Sami 00:11:43.169 --> 00:11:45.860 Zayn. You get the US championship. But you've 00:11:45.860 --> 00:11:47.440 also had injuries in the past. So, you know, 00:11:47.500 --> 00:11:49.679 when you're trying out for the brand in 2013, 00:11:49.899 --> 00:11:53.379 I think you got hurt in NXT in 2022. Is there, 00:11:53.539 --> 00:11:56.700 is there ever a worry as a performer and an athlete 00:11:56.700 --> 00:12:00.460 that, Oh my God, I, you know, I got injured. 00:12:01.019 --> 00:12:03.399 What if they, is there ever a word that they're 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:05.519 going to phase you out? You know, it's kind of 00:12:05.519 --> 00:12:07.899 like the best stability is availability. Is there 00:12:07.899 --> 00:12:09.799 always that worry or, or do they kind of make 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:11.860 promises that say, Hey, listen, when, when you 00:12:11.860 --> 00:12:14.409 recover, And you come back, this is what we're 00:12:14.409 --> 00:12:16.009 gonna do, here's where the storyline's going. 00:12:16.870 --> 00:12:20.230 Oh no, there are never promises in life. Especially, 00:12:20.570 --> 00:12:22.289 there are no promises in life, and there are 00:12:22.289 --> 00:12:24.049 no promises especially in their business. Everything 00:12:24.049 --> 00:12:27.210 can change at any point of time, but I don't 00:12:27.210 --> 00:12:32.049 know if that sounds arrogant or... No. Or not, 00:12:32.429 --> 00:12:35.710 but like, the least thing that I'm worried about 00:12:35.710 --> 00:12:39.590 in my life is my job. Nice. Because I don't know 00:12:39.590 --> 00:12:42.190 I do it for such a long time and I I developed 00:12:42.190 --> 00:12:45.169 this Of course, there's sometimes like little 00:12:45.169 --> 00:12:47.669 worries, but like in the big picture. I'm never 00:12:47.669 --> 00:12:53.830 worried about my job because I Coming back on 00:12:53.830 --> 00:12:56.730 all the backstory Being an immigrant knowing 00:12:56.730 --> 00:13:00.070 how real life works Knowing how long I do this 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:02.850 and how much it took me and seeing it all my 00:13:02.850 --> 00:13:07.370 career so far. I pretty fast changed from the 00:13:07.370 --> 00:13:13.049 mentality of What if to even if love that That 00:13:13.049 --> 00:13:16.009 is I've you know, i've heard a lot of different 00:13:16.009 --> 00:13:17.990 inspirational quotes. I've never heard that one 00:13:17.990 --> 00:13:21.330 man. That is I can tell you live by that too. 00:13:21.590 --> 00:13:24.529 Um, I I mean I try to do it like at the end of 00:13:24.529 --> 00:13:26.309 the day I'll also just human and have my have 00:13:26.309 --> 00:13:28.769 my own worries and my own problems, but when 00:13:28.769 --> 00:13:32.210 it comes down to fighting What for me is just 00:13:32.210 --> 00:13:35.590 what I do is just fighting. It's uh, it's You 00:13:35.590 --> 00:13:39.779 know, it's fighting is hard Life is two, I gotta 00:13:39.779 --> 00:13:42.779 make it work. What a great attitude. Again, I 00:13:42.779 --> 00:13:45.779 think it goes back to your upbringing and the 00:13:45.779 --> 00:13:47.779 adversity you faced at a young age that you're 00:13:47.779 --> 00:13:50.179 able to handle any adversity that comes your 00:13:50.179 --> 00:13:53.559 way now in your career. Sure, sure, but I wouldn't 00:13:53.559 --> 00:13:56.720 say I'm nothing special in those regards. I'm 00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:59.480 just a very good example. I love that. I love 00:13:59.480 --> 00:14:03.120 that. It's just a part of it. So you have two 00:14:03.120 --> 00:14:05.639 special moves, the Constantine Special, the Torpedo. 00:14:07.230 --> 00:14:09.750 And every every WWE superstar has, you know, 00:14:09.809 --> 00:14:13.669 a special move and an entrance song. Now, speaking 00:14:13.669 --> 00:14:19.330 for yourself, when you got into the WWE, is this 00:14:19.330 --> 00:14:22.870 a very long thought out decision? Because in 00:14:22.870 --> 00:14:24.889 the WWE world, your entrance and your special 00:14:24.889 --> 00:14:27.070 moves, those are a big deal. Or is it kind of 00:14:27.070 --> 00:14:28.590 a quick decision like, you know what? I'm going 00:14:28.590 --> 00:14:30.690 to go with this song and these are my moves. 00:14:33.230 --> 00:14:35.029 first of all with the signature moves you forgot 00:14:35.029 --> 00:14:40.350 the h -bomb i did i know i did but no worries 00:14:40.350 --> 00:14:44.169 about it i got a few moves and okay talking about 00:14:44.169 --> 00:14:49.269 the music i kind of thought like i always was 00:14:49.269 --> 00:14:51.450 very lucky with the music like i always liked 00:14:51.450 --> 00:14:53.629 the like the vibe of the music they gave me most 00:14:53.629 --> 00:14:56.009 of the times and if i didn't like it i said something 00:14:56.009 --> 00:15:00.450 about it um but then part with the moves is always 00:15:00.450 --> 00:15:04.960 uh is like a more special thing for me because 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:07.759 like every move has a story and every move is 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:11.340 like a homage and tribute to something. I love 00:15:11.340 --> 00:15:13.940 that. Like I mean like when you talk about the 00:15:13.940 --> 00:15:17.700 H -bomb it's I mean people that know MMA and 00:15:17.700 --> 00:15:21.220 UFC have probably seen Henderson versus Bisping 00:15:21.220 --> 00:15:24.419 and seen that kind of knockout and I've seen 00:15:24.419 --> 00:15:28.860 it too and I thought okay I can make it my own 00:15:28.860 --> 00:15:34.220 and when it comes to the Konstantin special also 00:15:34.220 --> 00:15:36.820 it's the most physical expression like I don't 00:15:36.820 --> 00:15:39.480 know what is more brutal than that when it comes 00:15:39.480 --> 00:15:42.500 down to the Konstantin special I literally came 00:15:42.500 --> 00:15:45.139 up with the idea for it and the name for it when 00:15:45.139 --> 00:15:49.100 I played for it with my son and my son my son's 00:15:49.100 --> 00:15:52.679 name is Konstantin so I thought okay because 00:15:52.679 --> 00:15:55.639 he's so like my son is even he's so creative 00:15:56.259 --> 00:15:58.679 and so out of the box like with the things he 00:15:58.679 --> 00:16:00.740 wants to play sometimes and try are so like i 00:16:00.740 --> 00:16:03.159 wouldn't even think about it and then he and 00:16:03.159 --> 00:16:05.679 because of his thought process i i he inspired 00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:07.899 me to think in a different way and i thought 00:16:07.899 --> 00:16:10.419 okay i came up with this idea and you gave me 00:16:10.419 --> 00:16:13.220 that idea so this move is going to be you oh 00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:15.779 man don't get me crying during this interview 00:16:15.779 --> 00:16:18.460 because i My son and I might, you know, I was 00:16:18.460 --> 00:16:20.840 a WWE fan growing up and he's the one that got 00:16:20.840 --> 00:16:24.059 me back into it. And we have ladder matches in 00:16:24.059 --> 00:16:27.580 our, in our house and he brings, he brings it 00:16:27.580 --> 00:16:30.139 out in me. And I, and hearing, hearing that your 00:16:30.139 --> 00:16:33.399 son brought your special move out of you is it's 00:16:33.399 --> 00:16:37.700 just incredible, man. Um, I, I love that. I, 00:16:37.700 --> 00:16:39.639 uh, I want to ask you a few more questions. I 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:42.299 want to be respectful of your time, the creative 00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:45.179 process. Now I know you can, you can only peel 00:16:45.179 --> 00:16:47.059 back the curtain so far, but this is something 00:16:47.059 --> 00:16:49.700 as a writer, performer, myself, I've always wondered, 00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:53.840 are you and other and the other superstars, are 00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:56.379 you sitting in a room full of like a writer's 00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:59.019 room regularly or is it more of a nonchalant? 00:16:59.200 --> 00:17:00.480 They come up to you in the locker room. They 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:02.360 say, hey, listen, this is what's going to happen 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:04.680 tonight. You're going to face this. And you know, 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:06.940 this is how it's going to end. So like how I 00:17:06.940 --> 00:17:08.980 guess what I'm asking is, like, how far out do 00:17:08.980 --> 00:17:11.759 you know about your story arc and your character 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:16.059 arc? Well, I would say that there I like to differentiate 00:17:16.059 --> 00:17:19.700 things in life So I'm pretty sure that there 00:17:19.700 --> 00:17:21.599 are a bunch of colleagues of mine who are probably 00:17:21.599 --> 00:17:24.819 reaching out more about this kind of stuff in 00:17:24.819 --> 00:17:28.319 advance and possibly sit there and Have this 00:17:28.319 --> 00:17:30.339 conversation and want to be aware of everything. 00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:34.359 I for my most part Never did never did that in 00:17:34.359 --> 00:17:36.420 a big time I mean, of course you reach out that 00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:38.940 you asked but I was always like the mentality 00:17:38.940 --> 00:17:44.019 of okay I get something and I try to make it 00:17:44.019 --> 00:17:48.859 my own or to leave my mark on it like my special 00:17:48.859 --> 00:17:53.380 signature as me as a performer so for me it's 00:17:53.380 --> 00:17:55.839 mostly like that's what you do I say okay I'm 00:17:55.839 --> 00:17:58.500 gonna leave my mark on it and ask how I can do 00:17:58.500 --> 00:18:01.660 it in the best way and try to make sure that 00:18:01.660 --> 00:18:05.759 every performance that I have could be a promo 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:09.900 could be a fight that I leave my colors on it 00:18:10.680 --> 00:18:12.680 So it's really very different to answer your 00:18:12.680 --> 00:18:15.039 question. It's very different. But again, like 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:18.680 I said, I take what I get. And until now, if 00:18:18.680 --> 00:18:23.339 you look behind me. Oh, I see it. I see it. I 00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:27.000 wasn't necessarily not successful with that. 00:18:28.839 --> 00:18:32.640 Well, listen. You're clearly very successful. 00:18:32.799 --> 00:18:35.640 You you're the US champion the United States 00:18:35.640 --> 00:18:37.680 champion You see the belt right behind you which 00:18:37.680 --> 00:18:40.359 I love that you have that on display way cooler 00:18:40.359 --> 00:18:44.559 than mine You did win that by way of open challenge 00:18:44.559 --> 00:18:46.680 against Sami Zayn and now you're you're you're 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:48.359 doing the same thing You're often offering an 00:18:48.359 --> 00:18:51.660 open challenge to defend that same title I got 00:18:51.660 --> 00:18:54.220 two questions. Here's the first one Is there 00:18:54.220 --> 00:18:57.519 a superstar that you would love to face in the 00:18:57.519 --> 00:19:01.430 ring in this open challenge? And who is it? There 00:19:01.430 --> 00:19:03.109 are a bunch of people that I would love to face. 00:19:03.750 --> 00:19:06.509 I can give you just three names, for example. 00:19:06.690 --> 00:19:10.410 I can give you the person who actually introduced 00:19:10.410 --> 00:19:15.470 me to the main roster in Philadelphia for my 00:19:15.470 --> 00:19:18.170 appearance right after media. That would be Shinsuke 00:19:18.170 --> 00:19:23.390 Nakamura. That must happen again. It was one 00:19:23.390 --> 00:19:26.210 of the people that also inspired me when I started 00:19:26.210 --> 00:19:30.079 to wrestle. That was a great match. It is talking 00:19:30.079 --> 00:19:32.700 about a person who was talking about that his 00:19:32.700 --> 00:19:36.720 time would probably end at some point, rather 00:19:36.720 --> 00:19:40.119 sooner than later would be AJ Styles. That would 00:19:40.119 --> 00:19:43.539 be, I, there was just like this sub thought of 00:19:43.539 --> 00:19:46.960 it, like it's just, would make me very, very 00:19:46.960 --> 00:19:52.960 happy. And another one that I only faced in the 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.869 three -way dance was Seamus. Oh, nice. Because 00:19:56.869 --> 00:20:00.029 when it comes down to physicality, I think what 00:20:00.029 --> 00:20:02.269 we could present there, the way we would beat 00:20:02.269 --> 00:20:05.289 up each other, that wouldn't be forgotten in 00:20:05.289 --> 00:20:09.210 ages. Dude, I agree. I was hoping you would say 00:20:09.210 --> 00:20:13.569 AJ Styles because, wow, as a fan, a spectator, 00:20:13.650 --> 00:20:16.170 that would be just so great to watch because 00:20:16.170 --> 00:20:18.789 both of the way, you know, you're both very aggressive, 00:20:19.250 --> 00:20:22.769 aerial. That'd be incredible. All right, here's 00:20:22.769 --> 00:20:24.930 one you've probably been asked before, but I 00:20:24.930 --> 00:20:27.549 gotta ask it. Living or dead? Sure. Living or 00:20:27.549 --> 00:20:30.269 dead? If you could have a match with anyone in 00:20:30.269 --> 00:20:36.630 WWE history, who would it be? Your choice. Anyone. 00:20:36.990 --> 00:20:40.150 Anyone. Oh, wow. You're the first one asking 00:20:40.150 --> 00:20:42.829 me that. Oh, wow. Are you? I'm not sure. Maybe, 00:20:42.829 --> 00:20:44.630 maybe not, but I definitely can't remember that 00:20:44.630 --> 00:20:50.410 question with anyone. I know, that's a tough 00:20:50.410 --> 00:20:53.599 one. now i need to go through and i need to go 00:20:53.599 --> 00:20:57.740 through all my oh oh my god of course one of 00:20:57.740 --> 00:21:00.119 the people major inspirations i would definitely 00:21:00.119 --> 00:21:02.279 let's say two one thing that people don't expect 00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:07.039 i would definitely love to fight ruddy piper 00:21:07.039 --> 00:21:11.420 yes that i would definitely love to fight ruddy 00:21:11.420 --> 00:21:15.920 piper and i would definitely fight uh like an 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:19.680 absolute prime curt angle Oh, dude, great, great 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:23.359 picks, man. Intensity would be off the charts. 00:21:24.220 --> 00:21:27.539 Sure. I mean, we all know famously. I mean, shit, 00:21:27.859 --> 00:21:29.859 Kurt Angle fought with a broken neck. It doesn't 00:21:29.859 --> 00:21:32.839 get tougher than that. And absolutely. Roddy 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:35.599 Roddy Piper. Yeah, he's he's definitely not underrated, 00:21:35.920 --> 00:21:37.759 but people don't talk about him enough. I love 00:21:37.759 --> 00:21:39.460 that you brought him. He's on my Mount Rushmore. 00:21:39.619 --> 00:21:43.039 I loved him. We were talking about AJ Styles. 00:21:43.480 --> 00:21:45.609 Again, a couple more questions. What are your 00:21:45.609 --> 00:21:49.289 thoughts on Cena's final run and with other superstars 00:21:49.289 --> 00:21:51.950 that are on the verge of hanging it up with Randy 00:21:51.950 --> 00:21:55.430 Orton, AJ Styles? How do you feel about them 00:21:55.430 --> 00:21:57.910 kinda leaving and the changing of the guard? 00:21:58.269 --> 00:22:00.529 How do you feel about the new future of WWE wrestling? 00:22:01.269 --> 00:22:04.809 I mean, it's amazing. You got amazing talent. 00:22:05.109 --> 00:22:08.789 I think we don't need to worry about a thing 00:22:08.789 --> 00:22:11.630 right now. But the old guard leaving, I mean, 00:22:11.769 --> 00:22:15.180 of course it's a - And first of all, inspiring 00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:18.359 to be a part of it, but also inspiring to see 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:21.880 the change and the opportunity that other people 00:22:21.880 --> 00:22:25.619 get and how people develop. I mean, like you 00:22:25.619 --> 00:22:28.900 see new stars on the horizon that's talking about 00:22:28.900 --> 00:22:31.599 Dominic Listerio, talking about Braun Breaker. 00:22:32.099 --> 00:22:34.779 These are just two examples of people that are 00:22:34.779 --> 00:22:39.539 obviously going to carry this company on their 00:22:39.539 --> 00:22:44.720 backs. I have no intention to do less than that 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:48.380 in the future as well. So it is it pushes me 00:22:48.380 --> 00:22:50.700 I mean like personally I don't see a competition 00:22:50.700 --> 00:22:52.819 for myself because the only competition for myself 00:22:52.819 --> 00:22:55.200 is how much I can express myself and I just working 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:58.319 on that I don't really look around me much in 00:22:58.319 --> 00:23:00.279 that sense, but this is an obvious thing but 00:23:00.279 --> 00:23:01.960 they all got leaving especially when you talk 00:23:01.960 --> 00:23:06.559 about John Cena's last run and his upcoming last 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:10.400 match it is having the opportunity to specifically 00:23:10.910 --> 00:23:13.769 so I had the opportunity to talk with him like 00:23:13.769 --> 00:23:18.650 a little for a few times just knowing how precise 00:23:18.650 --> 00:23:23.670 and professional his mind is towards the entire 00:23:23.670 --> 00:23:26.329 business and having still the opportunity before 00:23:26.329 --> 00:23:32.230 these guys leave to just have a touch of feeling 00:23:32.230 --> 00:23:36.710 how their brains work. It is inspiring. I mean 00:23:36.710 --> 00:23:39.509 like I don't think that anyone should ever feel 00:23:39.509 --> 00:23:43.130 like they need to be the next someone. I think 00:23:43.130 --> 00:23:46.549 it's important to be the like the first whole 00:23:46.549 --> 00:23:50.230 person you, you know, but it's definitely a good 00:23:50.230 --> 00:23:53.430 point. And who are the people that paved the 00:23:53.430 --> 00:23:57.750 way for you to those guys? Are they open to giving 00:23:57.750 --> 00:24:00.009 advice to the young wrestlers like yourself or 00:24:00.009 --> 00:24:03.190 do they kind of keep to themselves? Oh, it's 00:24:03.190 --> 00:24:06.119 absolutely there. Absolutely, they are. I mean, 00:24:06.140 --> 00:24:09.160 there's is always also about the thing like how 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:12.500 you approach people. Yeah, you know, it's I mean, 00:24:12.539 --> 00:24:15.779 at the end of the day, we all started at some 00:24:15.779 --> 00:24:21.359 point. We all had people that guided us through 00:24:21.359 --> 00:24:24.900 our first steps in this business. And I'm pretty 00:24:24.900 --> 00:24:28.160 sure that they know how that feeling is to be 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:34.009 a newbie or trying to make success. So I felt 00:24:34.009 --> 00:24:37.789 specifically talking to John Cena, he was very 00:24:37.789 --> 00:24:41.509 approachable, Randy Orton as well. I don't have 00:24:41.509 --> 00:24:43.509 a bad experience in that sense. That's great. 00:24:44.049 --> 00:24:47.890 Two more questions. This one, I know you can 00:24:47.890 --> 00:24:50.529 only say so much, but it's something that I really 00:24:50.529 --> 00:24:54.009 wondered about. Have you as a WWE superstar, 00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:56.900 performer athlete. Have you noticed any major 00:24:56.900 --> 00:25:00.660 differences in the way things were under Vince 00:25:00.660 --> 00:25:02.720 McMahon's ownership as opposed to how the way 00:25:02.720 --> 00:25:06.500 things are now under the new WWE ownership? I 00:25:06.500 --> 00:25:08.180 mean, I can't say anything about it because I 00:25:08.180 --> 00:25:12.160 think I was never. I mean, it probably affects 00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:14.359 the main roster more than it affects NXT or NXT 00:25:14.359 --> 00:25:17.279 UK really back in the time because when I came 00:25:17.279 --> 00:25:21.500 up to the main roster, the. that thing already 00:25:21.500 --> 00:25:23.640 changed, in my opinion. Maybe I might be wrong 00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:25.960 about this, but to ask you a question, no, I 00:25:25.960 --> 00:25:28.920 didn't feel much about it. No, that doesn't make 00:25:28.920 --> 00:25:31.119 sense. I mean, I guess that does line up that 00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:33.220 way that you were kind of back and forth while 00:25:33.220 --> 00:25:38.359 all that was going on. January 1st, 2026, you're 00:25:38.359 --> 00:25:40.579 gonna be right here in Syracuse for the WWE Live 00:25:40.579 --> 00:25:43.619 Holiday Tour at the Upstate Medical Arena on 00:25:43.619 --> 00:25:45.819 Center. Now, this is a house show. And so for 00:25:45.819 --> 00:25:47.240 those of you that are listening or watching, 00:25:47.779 --> 00:25:49.599 a house show basically means it's not a live 00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:54.619 taping like Raw or SmackDown. I've always felt 00:25:54.619 --> 00:25:56.900 like, Elia, I've always felt like wrestlers prefer 00:25:56.900 --> 00:25:59.039 house shows sometimes because you can kind of 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:00.940 go off the rails a little bit. You can interact 00:26:00.940 --> 00:26:04.099 with the crowd more. How do you feel about house 00:26:04.099 --> 00:26:09.410 shows as opposed to live tapings? The USB, again, 00:26:09.589 --> 00:26:11.569 coming back to the point of differentiating, 00:26:12.410 --> 00:26:14.690 I don't feel different. I like to say how you 00:26:14.690 --> 00:26:18.309 do one thing, you do all things. So when the 00:26:18.309 --> 00:26:22.240 audience will arrive at the venue and... I will 00:26:22.240 --> 00:26:24.759 step into the ring, for instance, and perform 00:26:24.759 --> 00:26:26.779 the way I perform. There's no difference for 00:26:26.779 --> 00:26:32.099 me. People are in for a real treat. They're in 00:26:32.099 --> 00:26:34.519 for a physical performance, for seeing real passion, 00:26:34.720 --> 00:26:38.200 real fighting spirit at its purest and its core. 00:26:38.680 --> 00:26:41.539 So for me, I don't make a difference because 00:26:41.539 --> 00:26:45.819 the major thing what WWE presents is captivating 00:26:45.819 --> 00:26:48.039 storytelling and performances. It doesn't matter 00:26:48.039 --> 00:26:50.369 if it's TV. or it doesn't matter if it's a house 00:26:50.369 --> 00:26:53.049 show, people will come into this venue, into 00:26:53.049 --> 00:26:57.049 this arena, and they will go out happy and excited. 00:26:58.009 --> 00:27:01.009 Man, spoken like a true performer and true athlete, 00:27:01.230 --> 00:27:04.170 man. You've got the right mentality. Thank you. 00:27:04.289 --> 00:27:06.950 Can you give us a peek into what WWE fans can 00:27:06.950 --> 00:27:09.470 expect from Ilja Dragunov in the near future? 00:27:09.609 --> 00:27:12.710 A little hints. And what can they expect in Syracuse 00:27:12.710 --> 00:27:17.900 on January 1st? What I can expect from you in 00:27:17.900 --> 00:27:21.160 January 20 on the circus is what I said right 00:27:21.160 --> 00:27:24.019 now again, you can always expect the absolute 00:27:24.019 --> 00:27:28.740 maximum for me a physical Captivating emotional 00:27:28.740 --> 00:27:31.420 passionate fight. I think people are captivated 00:27:31.420 --> 00:27:34.599 by true emotion and passion Because this is how 00:27:34.599 --> 00:27:37.420 we all want to live our life and I live my life 00:27:37.420 --> 00:27:40.519 Every day but every path I take with every fight. 00:27:40.519 --> 00:27:44.440 I'm in the same way the same way And when it 00:27:44.440 --> 00:27:51.400 comes down to 2026, I think for some people think 00:27:51.400 --> 00:27:54.599 that how much more has Ilya Dragunov to give. 00:27:55.819 --> 00:27:59.619 And I will tell them, I want to let them know 00:27:59.619 --> 00:28:04.859 that everything they've seen until now is just 00:28:04.859 --> 00:28:06.680 the bare minimum. And there's a lot more that 00:28:06.680 --> 00:28:09.839 I can give and a lot more that I can become. 00:28:10.339 --> 00:28:12.660 That's an incredible answer because you've already 00:28:12.660 --> 00:28:14.900 given so much I have no idea how you could give 00:28:14.900 --> 00:28:18.299 any more I want to do one last thing if you're 00:28:18.299 --> 00:28:20.960 cool with it. Can we do six rapid -fire questions? 00:28:22.140 --> 00:28:23.900 Oh Wait, I don't know if I can react that quick. 00:28:24.039 --> 00:28:29.019 I'm very slow. We'll do six Semi rapid -fire. 00:28:29.019 --> 00:28:31.519 Hold on. I've got it. I feel like I want to I 00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:35.680 want to put this on here I'm too slow. I do my 00:28:35.680 --> 00:28:40.420 best. All right, here we go Ilja Dragunov, WWE 00:28:40.420 --> 00:28:45.440 superstar, six rapid fire questions. One, an 00:28:45.440 --> 00:28:50.680 underrated wrestler, former or current? JD McDonough. 00:28:51.539 --> 00:28:58.859 Oh. Best heel of all time? JBL. Love it. Best 00:28:58.859 --> 00:29:02.220 finishing move of all time? It's, ah, what comes 00:29:02.220 --> 00:29:04.180 for, okay, let's say just what comes out to my 00:29:04.180 --> 00:29:09.539 619. Great one, Rey Mysterio. Best theme song 00:29:09.539 --> 00:29:17.700 of all time? I gotta go with John Cena. That's 00:29:17.700 --> 00:29:21.900 my wife's favorite, actually. Your favorite pay 00:29:21.900 --> 00:29:24.880 -per -view event from WWE. You know, like Royal 00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:27.440 Rumble, WrestleMania. Which one was Rock versus 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:31.259 Hogan? Oh, I meant like just your favorite to 00:29:31.259 --> 00:29:35.619 be a part of. Rock versus Hogan was either WrestleMania 00:29:35.619 --> 00:29:39.160 or SummerSlam. No, it was WrestleMania. It was 00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:42.319 WrestleMania. Bad with numbers sometimes. Okay, 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:47.599 let's get Deb on. My personal favorite, NXT Vengeance 00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:53.980 Day. Okay. Love it. Last but not least, are you 00:29:53.980 --> 00:29:58.380 hooded figure? No, I do my open challenge is 00:29:58.380 --> 00:30:01.259 pretty pretty straight away. I know I'm kidding. 00:30:01.299 --> 00:30:03.700 I had to throw that in there you'll you're dragging 00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:07.079 off I It was an honor to meet you and to get 00:30:07.079 --> 00:30:10.319 to interview you. Thank you for your time The 00:30:10.319 --> 00:30:12.880 WWE live holiday tour at the Upstate Medical 00:30:12.880 --> 00:30:16.099 Arena at on Center is on January 1st 26 get your 00:30:16.099 --> 00:30:19.660 tickets now Ilia any last words plugs anything 00:30:19.660 --> 00:30:22.920 you want to say I think everything that was necessary 00:30:22.920 --> 00:30:28.480 to said is to said and done but Don't forget 00:30:28.480 --> 00:30:32.940 to tune in on Fridays. Don't forget to tune in 00:30:32.940 --> 00:30:35.640 when I fight, because when the dragon steps into 00:30:35.640 --> 00:30:38.259 the ring, when the bad dragon steps into the 00:30:38.259 --> 00:30:44.660 ring, pain, so entertain you. Yes! Ilya, I liked 00:30:44.660 --> 00:30:47.559 you before. You've turned me into a fan. Thank 00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:49.579 you so much for coming on Good News York. We 00:30:49.579 --> 00:30:51.680 love you. Best of luck in your career, and I 00:30:51.680 --> 00:30:54.220 hope we cross paths again. Thanks for having 00:30:54.220 --> 00:31:00.029 me. Thank you. Wow. And with that, folks, that 00:31:00.029 --> 00:31:04.470 was one of my absolute favorite episodes of Good 00:31:04.470 --> 00:31:07.609 News York. Mike Perdice saying goodbye. I don't 00:31:07.609 --> 00:31:09.130 know how we're going to top that. You can follow 00:31:09.130 --> 00:31:12.089 me on all socials at MikeBTV. Here comes Matt. 00:31:12.470 --> 00:31:17.250 Oh, he's attacking me. Oh, nice. All right. I'm 00:31:17.250 --> 00:31:18.990 going to give you the H -bomb. He taught me how 00:31:18.990 --> 00:31:22.009 to do it. It is Mike Perdice saying goodbye. 00:31:22.580 --> 00:31:25.119 on this Wednesday. We'll be back tomorrow. Remember, 00:31:25.420 --> 00:31:27.539 we are sponsored by ads on the go. Get ads on 00:31:27.539 --> 00:31:30.480 the go dot com. Check us out at Good New York 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:32.440 on all socials. Good New York dot com. Peace.