Speaking to Booker T on his Hall of Fame podcast recently, former NXT UK Champion Ilja Dragunov spoke on his long-standing rivalry with current and longest reigning Intercontinental Champion to date, Gunther, formerly known as Walter (or currently, depending on who you ask):
It must be Gunther. It must be him. There is no other choice. This is destiny. There is no other match that makes people feel this dimension of emotions that we both can produce, just because we’re directly opposites. There is not one person that has taught me more, not one person that has pushed me more, and there is no one person that I can have a better match with on such a high level as WrestleMania. It is impossible because we are the opposites, but we connect and it is something people have never seen before and can reinvent this special thing every time again, especially on a stage like this.
Ilja Dragunov
Dragunov and Gunther have a storied history together, from wXw Wrestling, NXT UK, and NXT. Through their story, the pair have had five-star matches that have been met with a lot of praise. Ilja Dragunov is set for a rematch with Carmelo Hayes on September 30 at NXT No Mercy.
