An absent WWE star is set to return after 317 days with the promotion’s strategy regarding this coming to the fore.
BWE shared that Ilja Dragunov is finally cleared for in-ring competition after being out for around 11 months. He suffered a torn ACL during a match with Gunther at a house show in Columbus, Georgia, on September 28, 2024.
The injury came at the worst time for Dragunov as he was building real momentum on Monday Night RAW after getting called up from NXT in 2024. He beat some big names like Ricochet in the King of the Ring tournament and was in talks for feuds with The Judgment Day. Everything stopped when he tore his ACL while wrestling for the World Heavyweight Championship.
🚨 Ilja Dragunov is cleared for in ring competition
WWE will wait for the perfect time to bring home back.
(BWE) pic.twitter.com/a7qQuQhJBf
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) August 10, 2025
WWE announced he would be out for six to nine months. That timeline looked about right since ACL injuries usually take that long to heal. But now BWE says he’s cleared to compete again. However, the promotion is implementing the strategy of not bringing him just yet and is waiting for the right time for his return.
Dragunov was spotted training at the WWE Performance Center earlier this year. Reports said he was working out without any support gear for his injury. Some people thought he might return sooner, but WWE seems to be taking a careful approach with their returning star.
WWE’s Return Strategy For Ilja Dragunov
The news about waiting for the “perfect time” reveals WWE’s new strategy with injured stars. They’re not just throwing Dragunov back into random matches. The company wants to make its comeback mean something big.
This makes sense when you look at Dragunov’s history with Gunther. Their feud goes way back to their days in NXT UK. Gunther even mocked Dragunov on social media after the injury, calling him weak. That tweet from Gunther saying “Weak things break” really set up a future storyline.
WWE could be planning Dragunov’s return around a major event like Clash in Paris or Survivor Series. His comeback could be the perfect surprise for a big pay-per-view. Some reports suggested he might be the mystery opponent in the King of the Ring tournament, but that didn’t happen.