Former champion claims he pushed things to the next level on WWE RAW

WWE Superstar Ilja Dragunov secured an impressive win last night on RAW in his first match after being drafted to the red brand. The Mad Dragon has now spoken about his win, claiming he pushed things to the next level during the bout like he often does.

On the most recent edition of WWE's Monday Night Show, the 30-year-old locked horns with Ricochet in the first round of the King of the Ring tournament. The two superstars traded blows before the former NXT Champion secured a hard-fought win to advance to the next round of the tournament.

Speaking in a WWE Digital Exclusive after the win, Ilja Dragunov praised Ricochet, referring to the Speed Champion as one of the best. Dragunov further stated that he pushes things to the next level, and he did exactly the same thing on RAW:

"One thing is always for sure for me: I want to fight the best. And Ricochet was most certainly one of the best. But I talked about it. I made a promise. Ilja Dragunov pushes things to the next level, and that's exactly what I did this night. I pushed things to the next level," he said.

On being asked about the crowd support, the former NXT Champion stated that it meant the world to him. He further revealed the one thing he stands for:

"It means the world to me. Because, if there's one thing that I think I can make the people do, is I make them believe. I make them believe everything I do in this ring. If there's one thing I stand for, and that is something that everyone in this crowd wishes to have, is ridiculous fighting spirit."

Vince Russo makes bold prediction regarding Ilja Dragunov's future on WWE's main roster

Ilja Dragunov has been one of the most dominant performers on the Stamford-based company's developmental brand. The Mad Dragon held the NXT and NXT UK Championships before arriving on the main roster.

However, former WWE head writer Vince Russo made a bold prediction regarding Dragunov's run on the main roster. While speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's Legion of RAW, the 63-year-old predicted that the recently drafted superstar will be in the same spot a year from now:

"This guy is never getting over. Guys, mark this down and let’s revisit this next April 29, 2025. I am telling you right now, a year from now, this guy will be in the same exact spot he’s in right now," he said.

Ilja Dragunov will face Jey Uso next week on RAW in the next round of the King of the Ring Tournament. The former Bloodline member entered the tournament as a replacement for an injured Drew McIntyre and defeated Finn Balor in the first round.