Ilja Dragunov has enjoyed a great rise in pro wrestling, which he credits in part to his peers, including WWE's GUNTHER, whom he considers one of the greats of all time.

Dragunov and GUNTHER rose up the ranks in Germany, having wrestled often in the German promotion wXw, before bringing their rivalry all the way to "NXT UK." The new AEW star has credited GUNTHER for his growth and believes that he will go down in history as a great wrestler.

"Gunther [is] a dear friend of mine since, I don't know, [since] 2015. Like, so for such a long time, no other person in professional wrestling forged me more than he. [He's] A mastermind. He is one of the greatest, and he will be one of the greatest of all time when he decides to leave the boots in the ring," he said on the "Battleground Podcast."

Dragunov acknowledged the impact GUNTHER had on him as a wrestler, stating that the big growth in his pro wrestling career came after he faced the WWE star.

"I mean, like, all the biggest peaks of progression I always had when I faced him. It's just as simple as that. What I could take [from GUNTHER] is, like, directness always gives you the best enhancement of your talents and strengths. So, he was always very straightforward with me, no sugarcoating," added Dragunov.

GUNTHER predicted back in 2024 that Dragunov could be the next big thing on the main roster, with many expecting Dragunov to follow in GUNTHER's footsteps and become a more prominent figure on the WWE main roster. However, that ultimately didn't happen, as Dragunov's main roster run lasted just two years. GUNTHER, meanwhile, has gone on to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion, retire legends like John Cena and AJ Styles, and pave the way for a bright future in WWE.