Ilja Dragunov is a man with a new sense of freedom after joining AEW, and he has some old friends in WWE, Kofi and Austin Creed, to thank for his decision to switch promotions.

Dragunov is the latest star to leave WWE for AEW, debuting in the promotion at WrestleDream, just two months after his WWE exit. The former NXT Champion stated that the success Creed and Kofi, who also debuted in AEW a few months ago, enjoyed immediately after joining the promotion convinced him that signing with Tony Khan's company would be the right move for his career.

"I mean, it would be a lie if it wouldn't, right? [That the New Level's success attracted him to AEW] You see people perform in a way that they didn't perform in a while anymore. I can tell, hopefully, or just feel, or can try to imagine a certain happiness if I watch them, what they're doing, and just reconnecting with these people that you shared some time with. You can just tell that it's definitely a new place and something they appreciate [being] a part of," explained Dragunov in his interview with "The Takedown on SI."

The New Level's AEW debut got off to a strong start, as they teamed up with Swerve Strickland to win the Trios Championship on their first night at All In, before losing the titles at WrestleDream. Dragunov's AEW run has had a similar start. Although he didn't win a title, he main-evented "AEW Dynamite" in his in-ring debut, defeating "Speedball" Mike Bailey on the October 21 episode.

Dragunov and The New Level were rumored to have left WWE due to contract issues, with The New Level reportedly being asked to take a pay cut of more than 50%.