Ilja Dragunov has dismissed MJF‘s criticism after his AEW debut at WrestleDream, making it clear he has little interest in a war of words with the former AEW World Champion.
Ilja Dragunov made his AEW debut at WrestleDream, receiving an elaborate entrance featuring an orchestral presentation. However, his arrival quickly attracted criticism from MJF, who mocked the former WWE star’s presentation in a social media post following the pay-per-view.
Speaking on the Battleground Podcast ahead of his in-ring debut on AEW Dynamite, Dragunov was asked whether he had anything to say in response to MJF’s comments.
“Nothing,” Dragunov replied.
When pressed further, Dragunov said he had more important matters to focus on than social media comments.
“Come on. Like, please. I’m Russian-German. We handle problems of relevance.”
Ilja Dragunov Dismisses MJF’s Criticism Of His AEW WrestleDream Debut
MJF took aim at Ilja Dragunov following WrestleDream while sharing his thoughts on the event. Alongside criticism of AEW World Champion Will Ospreay, MJF mocked Dragunov’s orchestral entrance and called him a “Russian/German loser.”
“Russian/german loser debuts by pretending he’s a ‘composer’…cool.”
Despite the insult, Dragunov appeared unconcerned about MJF’s comments. When the podcast hosts suggested that MJF might regret provoking him, Dragunov instead discussed the physical punishment he would rather deliver inside the ring.
“No — chops and elbows and boots and throws and… come on. Like, I handle problems of relevance.”
Dragunov also explained that his upbringing and cultural background have shaped how he responds to criticism. The former WWE star suggested that verbal insults carry little significance compared to the challenges he has already encountered throughout his life and wrestling career.
“And especially in Russian culture, we talk about things with depth, but we do not get hurt by words. If I got hurt more by words, I wouldn’t be sitting here nowadays. So, please, come on.”
Dragunov’s comments suggest that he has no immediate interest in escalating the situation through interviews or social media exchanges. Instead, the German-Russian wrestler remains focused on establishing himself in AEW after leaving WWE.
Dragunov is scheduled to make his AEW in-ring debut on the October 21 episode of Dynamite, where he will face Mike Bailey. While MJF has already made his feelings about Dragunov’s arrival known, it remains to be seen whether their exchange will develop into an on-screen rivalry.
