Ilja Dragunov is a professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand as the NXT Champion. He is also a former NXT United Kingdom Champion and a prominent figure on the NXT UK brand. He is known for his intense in-ring style, commanding presence, and charismatic personality.
Ilja Dragunov Age, Family, Wife, Children and More
Ilja Dragunov was born as Ilya Rukober on 10 October 1993 in Moscow, Russia. He migrated to Berlin, Germany with his mother when he was five years old. Neither he nor his mother could speak the German language. He had a difficult childhood, as he had to work various jobs from a young age to help provide for his family, including working at a pizza parlor and a gas station.
He was also bullied at school for being different. He found solace in wrestling, which he started watching on television when he was eight years old. He was inspired by wrestlers like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker. He decided to pursue his dream of becoming a wrestler and started his professional wrestling training at the German Wrestling Federation (GWF) training school under veterans Axel Tischer (who wrestled for WWE under the ring name Alexander Wolfe) and Rick Baxxter. He made his in-ring debut in 2012.
Ilja Dragunov is 30 years old as of 2023. He has not revealed much about his family, except that he has a mother who supported his wrestling career. He has not disclosed his marital status or his relationship status. He has not confirmed if he has any children or not. He prefers to keep his personal life private and focus on his wrestling career.
Ilja Dragunov Education School and Colleges
Ilja Dragunov has not shared much information about his education. He has not revealed the name of his school or college, or his educational qualification. He may have dropped out of school to pursue his wrestling career, or he may have completed his education while working part-time jobs. He has not specified his major or degree, if any.
Ilja Dragunov Career, Debut, Achievements
Ilja Dragunov began his wrestling career in 2012, working for various European independent promotions, such as GWF, wXw, Progress Wrestling, ICW, and RevPro. He adopted the ring name Ilja Dragunov, which means “son of the dragon” in Russian. He developed his character as a passionate, fiery, and fearless wrestler, who adopted the motto “Unbesiegbar”, which means “invincible” in German. He quickly gained popularity and recognition for his impressive performances and matches.
He made his debut for wXw in 2013, and became a regular for the promotion. He won several championships in wXw, including the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship, the wXw World Tag Team Championship (three times), and the wXw Shotgun Championship (two times). He also participated in several tournaments, such as the wXw 16 Carat Gold, the wXw World Tag Team League, and the wXw Shotgun Title Tournament. He had memorable feuds and matches with wrestlers like WALTER, John Klinger, Alexander James, and Bobby Gunns.
He made his debut for Progress Wrestling in 2018, and challenged Pete Dunne for the WWE United Kingdom Championship at Progress Chapter 76. He lost the match, but earned the respect of Dunne and the fans. He continued to wrestle for Progress, and competed in the Super Strong Style 16 tournament in 2019 and 2020. He also wrestled for other British promotions, such as ICW and RevPro, and faced wrestlers like Joe Coffey, Zack Sabre Jr., and Will Ospreay.
He signed with WWE in 2019, and joined the NXT UK brand. He made his debut for NXT UK in May 2019, and quickly established himself as one of the top stars of the brand. He had a long-running rivalry with WALTER, who was the NXT UK Champion at the time. He challenged WALTER for the title twice, at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff in 2019 and at NXT UK TakeOver: Dublin in 2020, but failed to win the title on both occasions. He finally defeated WALTER for the title at NXT TakeOver 36 in 2021, ending WALTER’s historic reign of 870 days. He became the first Russian-born champion in WWE history, and the second NXT UK Champion.
He also made appearances on the NXT brand, and faced wrestlers like Finn Bálor, Pete Dunne, and Karrion Kross. He won the NXT Championship from Carmelo Hayes at NXT No Mercy in 2022, becoming the first wrestler to hold both the NXT and NXT UK titles. He is currently the reigning NXT Champion, and has defended his title against challengers like Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and Kyle O’Reilly.
He has won several awards and accolades for his wrestling career, such as the NXT UK Year-End Award for Match of the Year in 2019 and 2020, the NXT Year-End Award for Match of the Year in 2021, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Award for Best Brawler in 2020 and 2021. He has also been ranked among the top wrestlers in the world by various publications, such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Sports Illustrated, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Ilja Dragunov is 30 years old as of 2023. He has not revealed much about his family, except that he has a mother who supported his wrestling career. He has not disclosed his marital status or his relationship status. He has not confirmed if he has any children or not. He prefers to keep his personal life private and focus on his wrestling career.
Ilja Dragunov Education School and Colleges
Ilja Dragunov has not shared much information about his education. He has not revealed the name of his school or college, or his educational qualification. He may have dropped out of school to pursue his wrestling career, or he may have completed his education while working part-time jobs. He has not specified his major or degree, if any.
Ilja Dragunov Career, Debut, Achievements
Ilja Dragunov began his wrestling career in 2012, working for various European independent promotions, such as GWF, wXw, Progress Wrestling, ICW, and RevPro. He adopted the ring name Ilja Dragunov, which means “son of the dragon” in Russian. He developed his character as a passionate, fiery, and fearless wrestler, who adopted the motto “Unbesiegbar”, which means “invincible” in German. He quickly gained popularity and recognition for his impressive performances and matches.
He made his debut for wXw in 2013, and became a regular for the promotion. He won several championships in wXw, including the wXw Unified World Wrestling Championship, the wXw World Tag Team Championship (three times), and the wXw Shotgun Championship (two times). He also participated in several tournaments, such as the wXw 16 Carat Gold, the wXw World Tag Team League, and the wXw Shotgun Title Tournament. He had memorable feuds and matches with wrestlers like WALTER, John Klinger, Alexander James, and Bobby Gunns.
He made his debut for Progress Wrestling in 2018, and challenged Pete Dunne for the WWE United Kingdom Championship at Progress Chapter 76. He lost the match, but earned the respect of Dunne and the fans. He continued to wrestle for Progress, and competed in the Super Strong Style 16 tournament in 2019 and 2020. He also wrestled for other British promotions, such as ICW and RevPro, and faced wrestlers like Joe Coffey, Zack Sabre Jr., and Will Ospreay.
He signed with WWE in 2019, and joined the NXT UK brand. He made his debut for NXT UK in May 2019, and quickly established himself as one of the top stars of the brand. He had a long-running rivalry with WALTER, who was the NXT UK Champion at the time. He challenged WALTER for the title twice, at NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff in 2019 and at NXT UK TakeOver: Dublin in 2020, but failed to win the title on both occasions. He finally defeated WALTER for the title at NXT TakeOver 36 in 2021, ending WALTER’s historic reign of 870 days. He became the first Russian-born champion in WWE history, and the second NXT UK Champion.
He also made appearances on the NXT brand, and faced wrestlers like Finn Bálor, Pete Dunne, and Karrion Kross. He won the NXT Championship from Carmelo Hayes at NXT No Mercy in 2022, becoming the first wrestler to hold both the NXT and NXT UK titles. He is currently the reigning NXT Champion, and has defended his title against challengers like Johnny Gargano, Tommaso Ciampa, and Kyle O’Reilly.
He has won several awards and accolades for his wrestling career, such as the NXT UK Year-End Award for Match of the Year in 2019 and 2020, the NXT Year-End Award for Match of the Year in 2021, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Award for Best Brawler in 2020 and 2021. He has also been ranked among the top wrestlers in the world by various publications, such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Sports Illustrated, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Ilja Dragunov Height, Weight and Body Measurements
Ilja Dragunov is 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) tall and weighs 210 lb (95 kg). He has an athletic body type, with blue eyes and blonde hair. He has not disclosed his body measurements, such as his chest size, waist size, biceps size, or shoe size. He has several tattoos on his body, including a dragon on his chest, a cross on his right arm, and a quote on his left arm.
Ilja Dragunov is 5 ft 10 in (178 cm) tall and weighs 210 lb (95 kg). He has an athletic body type, with blue eyes and blonde hair. He has not disclosed his body measurements, such as his chest size, waist size, biceps size, or shoe size. He has several tattoos on his body, including a dragon on his chest, a cross on his right arm, and a quote on his left arm.
| Bio/Wiki | |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Ilya Rukober |
| Nickname | Ilja Dragunov |
| Profession | Professional Wrestler |
| Age | 30 years (as of 2023) |
| Date of Birth | 10 October 1993 |
| Birthplace | Moscow, Russia |
| Nationality | Russian-German |
| Star Sign/ Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Hometown | Berlin, Germany |
| Debut | 21 April 2012 |
| Physical Stats & More | |
| Height in Centimeters | 178 cm |
| Height in meters | 1.78 m |
| Height in Inches | 5 ft 10 in |
| Weight in Kilograms | 95 kg |
| Weight in Pounds | 210 lbs |
| Body Measurements | Unknown |
| Chest Size | Unknown |
| Waist Size | Unknown |
| Biceps Size | Unknown |
| Body Type | Athletic |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Hair Color | Blonde |
| Family and Relatives | |
| Father | Unknown |
| Mother | Unknown |
| Brother | Unknown |
| Sister | Unknown |
| Affairs, Boyfriends and Marital Status | |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Husband/ Spouse | Unknown |
| Son | Unknown |
| Daughter | Unknown |
| Boyfriends | Unknown |
| Affairs | Unknown |
| Education and School, College | |
| Educational Qualification | Unknown |
| School | Unknown |
| College/ University | Unknown |
| Favorites Things and Hobbies | |
| Wrestler | Gunther |
| Food | Unknown |
| Movie | Unknown |
| Hobbies | Journaling |
| Money Factor | |
| Net Worth | $1 Million |
| Salary | Unknown |
| Contact Address | |
| Fan Mail Address | Unknown |
| Phone Number | Unknown |
| Email Id | Unknown |
| Website | Unknown |
| Social Media | |
| [iljadragunov] | |
| [Ilja Dragunov] | |
| [UNBESIEGBAR] | |
Controversy and Affairs of Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Dragunov has not been involved in any major controversy or scandal in his wrestling career. He has maintained a clean and professional image, and has not been accused of any wrongdoing or misconduct. He has also not been linked to any affairs or romances with other wrestlers or celebrities. He has kept his personal life away from the public eye, and has focused on his wrestling career.
Ilja Dragunov Social Media
Ilja Dragunov is active on social media, and has accounts on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He uses his social media platforms to interact with his fans, share his photos and videos, promote his wrestling matches and events, and express his opinions and thoughts. He has a large and loyal fan base, who support him and follow him on social media. He has over 100k followers on Instagram, over 50k followers on Facebook, and over 40k followers on Twitter.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about Ilja Dragunov:
What is Ilja Dragunov’s real name?
Ilja Dragunov’s real name is Ilya Rukober.
Where is Ilja Dragunov from?
Ilja Dragunov is from Moscow, Russia, but he moved to Berlin, Germany when he was five years old.
How old is Ilja Dragunov?
Ilja Dragunov is 30 years old as of 2023. He was born on 10 October 1993.
What does Ilja Dragunov’s ring name mean?
Ilja Dragunov’s ring name means “son of the dragon” in Russian. He chose this name to reflect his heritage and his character.
What is Ilja Dragunov’s motto?
Ilja Dragunov’s motto is “Unbesiegbar”, which means “invincible” in German. He uses this word to motivate himself and his fans, and to show his determination and resilience.
What are Ilja Dragunov’s signature moves?
Ilja Dragunov’s signature moves are the Constantine Special (a double underhook suplex), the Torpedo Moscow (a running European uppercut), and the Russian Suplex (a bridging German suplex).
What are Ilja Dragunov’s championships and accomplishments?
Ilja Dragunov is a former NXT United Kingdom Champion and the current NXT Champion. He is also a former wXw Unified World Wrestling Champion, a three-time wXw World Tag Team Champion, and a two-time wXw Shotgun Champion. He has won several awards and accolades, such as the NXT UK Year-End Award for Match of the Year in 2019 and 2020, the NXT Year-End Award for Match of the Year in 2021, and the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Award for Best Brawler in 2020 and 2021. He has also been ranked among the top wrestlers in the world by various publications, such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Sports Illustrated, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter.