Ilja Dragunov Reflects On What He Learned From Rivalry With Gunther

Ilja Dragunov had his greatest rivalry so far with Gunther, and he recently weighed in on what he learned from that association. Dragunov and Gunther had an intense epic rivalry with Gunther (then WALTER) that reached its height in NXT UK and continued on to their time in NXT together.

Dragunov was asked during an appearance on The Battleground Podcast what he learned from that feud and said it was “the value of a true fight.” He praised the Ring General for his acumen both in the ring and outside and said that he learned to bet on his strength. You can see the highlights below:

On What Lesson He Takes From Their Rivalry:

“It is the value of a true fight. Gunther is like a dear friend of mine since — I don’t know, 2015? So, for such a long time, no other person that could, especially in professional wrestling, formed 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.

On How Gunther Helped Shape Him As a Performer:

“All the biggest peaks of progression I always had when I faced him, it’s just as simple as that. And hey, what I could take is like, directness always gives you the best enhancement of your talents and strengths. So he was always very straightforward with me. No sugarcoating in friendship, also as in business relationships.

“And you look at him and you look at the physicality and brutality, and the kind of like dominance that he that he expresses and oozes. And especially as a person like I, that was thriving through pain and suffering and connecting with people on a deeper level through that? That’s what I learned from that possibly the most is like, I bet on my strength, and I will always do that.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit The Battleground Podcast with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.