Ilja Dragunov had a famous series of matches with Gunther before both men in the WWE main roster, and Dragunov recently looked back at the impact of those bouts. The two European stars battled in NXT UK and NXT in a heated and physically intense rivalry, something Dragunov reflected on in an interview with the Daily Star. You can see some highlights below (h/t to Wrestling Inc):
On the legacy of the matches: “I think, first of all, those matches really laid the standard for what the European talent is able to do. And of course, I pay attention to [GUNTHER’s] work… As much as he is a rival for me, he also made me the person I am today and the performer I am today. And the reason why I am such a high level in what I do is definitely him, because you definitely need somebody who pushes you really, really to your limit, so you can actually realize where that is.”
On the matches bringing out the best in both of them: “You always need that kind of person where, you know, ‘Okay, I wanna be as good as you, I wanna get better [than] you.’ And I think this is the kind of tension that drives people to want to see more.”
