• Ilja Dragunov Has Left WWE
According to PWInisder, Ilja Dragunov’s WWE contract has expired and he has left the company. He last competed in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal during WrestleMania 42 weekend.
As previously reported during a Q&A, JoeyVotes and TC from WrestleVotes Live on Fightful Select explained that WWE has adopted a strict “Moneyball” strategy, relying heavily on viewership analytics, online clicks, and audience behavior to decide who gets on screen. If the numbers show that viewers change the channel or do not search for a wrestler, management pulls back on using them.
Dragunov was hit hard by this data-first system, and weak merchandise offerings have only made things harder. With just a couple of T-Shirts produced for him, he has had very few chances to show executives that he can move products and generate money.
• Awesome Kong Open To In-Ring Return After Years Away
Former TNA Knockouts World Champion Awesome Kong (Kharma in WWE) has revealed that she is open to returning to the ring. After spending years away from the business to let her body recover, Kong stated that she would consider a comeback if the right opportunity presented itself.
During an appearance on the No Contest Wrestling podcast, Kong explained that she had previously banned wrestling from her home. She avoided watching or discussing the business because she knew the urge to return would be too strong before her body was physically ready. However, listening to the podcast recently reignited her passion for the industry.
Kong noted that her body has finally healed, and she is willing to train for an in-ring return if she receives the proper support to get back into wrestling shape. While a return is not her primary focus, she made it clear that she is not ruling it out if a company reaches out with a concrete plan.
Kong, who is approaching 50, also expressed a desire to show that women her age can still perform at a high level. She believes that older female wrestlers “don’t get enough respect” and are too easily discounted, adding that she could easily compete with anyone after two or three months of training.
Awesome Kong had a short run in AEW as well. Her last match took place in TNA in 2023.
