Ilja Dragunov Says He’s Become More Of An Archetype Than A Human

In a recent appearance with Busted Open, Ilja Dragunov shared some details on his reaction to claiming the NXT Championship from Carmelo Hayes (via Fightful). Dragunov explained that he left everything in the ring during the fight and that his performances give the audience an iconic representation of the concept of struggle. You can find some highlights from Dragunov and listen to the complete interview below.

On his feelings after the title win: “When this moment was there, I felt empty, but empty can be good sometimes. I have this thing I say, when one day, when I’m gone, ‘I want to go empty.’ I want to go knowing that I gave knowing that I gave everything that I possibly could. I have nothing to regret, nothing to leave behind, I left all that I had to offer. This is one of those moments where I felt this emptiness but in a very good way.”

On what sets him apart from previous NXT champions: “The thing is, I won’t stop. There is no one in this business who can deliver this kind of emotion, this kind of passion, getting people into the fight. When I fight, people feel like they are into it. They feel the pain, they feel the struggle. Everything I’m working on has become the ultimate symbol, like not even being human anymore, just a symbol that people can hold on. This is what I can offer for the NXT Championship. Being a champion people can believe in. They look at him and see something they want to be in a certain part of their life. This fighting spirit, you can put it in any area of their life and people want to have it. This courage to step up and deliver in the whole sense of their existence.”