WWE Rumors on Ilja Dragunov's Departure, John Cena Classic, Lola Vice Main Roster Call-Up

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Reported Details Behind Dragunov's WWE Exit

Ilja Dragunov's absence from WWE programming for four months prior to his departure was reportedly related to his contract status.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlePurists), Dragunov had a "very good" contract with WWE, but the two sides were far enough apart in negotiations for a new deal that the decision was made to pull him from television in April.

Meltzer (h/t WrestlePurists) added that the disconnect between Dragunov and WWE had to do with the company's perception of Dragunov and how big of a draw he actually was.

WWE reportedly viewed Dragunov as a good in-ring performer, but not a "numbers mover," and the company reportedly felt he needed to be a numbers mover in order to justify the type of money he was asking for.

It was first reported by PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlePurists) on Thursday that Dragunov's WWE contract was expiring, and he intended to leave the company.

Per False Finish, WWE "would have liked Dragunov to stay with the company," but Dragunov made the choice to leave.

Dragunov signed with WWE in 2019, and he went on to have success as a member of multiple brands. That included holding the NXT United Kingdom Championship, the NXT Championship and the United States Championship one time each.

His TV time on SmackDown took a hit after dropping the U.S. title to Carmelo Hayes in December, though, and after competing in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal in April, Dragunov was not seen again on WWE programming.

While a talent typically has a 90-day non-compete clause they have to adhere to when they are released by WWE, Dragunov's contract lapsed.

That means he is free to sign and work anywhere once his contract has officially expired, per Meltzer.

With AEW All In set for Wembley Stadium in London on Aug. 30, Dragunov could be a fun surprise entrant in the Casino Gauntlet match should he decide to sign with the promotion.

WWE Reportedly Considering Date for John Cena Classic

Although there are still plenty of questions regarding what the John Cena Classic will entail, WWE reportedly has a date in mind for the tournament.

According to False Finish, WWE is "currently looking at holding" the John Cena Classic on Saturday, Dec. 12, although the location isn't yet known.

The John Cena Classic concept was first announced by John Cena himself during the Backlash premium live event in May.

Cena divulged that it would be a tournament comprised of Superstars from both WWE's main roster and NXT. Cena added that a John Cena Classic champion would be crowned at the end based on a fan vote rather than the results of the matches.

That last point led to some confusion among fans, but the fact that WWE hasn't not followed up on Cena's announcement at all since May suggests that the company may still be trying to iron out the details.

Since Dec. 12 is a Saturday, that suggests the John Cena Classic will either be a standalone premium live event or part of a Saturday Night's Main Event should it happen on that date.

Every indication is that the John Cena Classic is meant to elevate up-and-coming stars and help them build a connection with the fans, which should only be a positive for WWE moving forward.

WWE Reportedly Preparing Vice for Main Roster Call-Up

WWE has reportedly set the wheels in motion for Lola Vice's main roster debut.

According to TRNBCKL (h/t False Finish), vignettes featuring Vice have been filmed, and they are expected to air "in the coming weeks" leading up to her official call-up from NXT to the main roster.

A former MMA fighter with Bellator, Vice signed with WWE in 2022 and established herself as one of the top women's Superstars in NXT.

After vying for the title on multiple occasions, she finally won the NXT Women's Championship at Stand & Deliver in April, beating Jacy Jayne and Kendal Grey in a Triple Threat match.

Vice dropped the title to Grey less than three months later at Great American Bash, though, and Grey then defeated Vice in an NXT Underground match earlier this month.

That likely represented Vice's final NXT match, as she has been rumored for a call-up to the main roster for quite some time.

Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News) reported last month that SmackDown would likely be Vice's home on the main roster.

If that proves to be true, then vignettes for her debut could potentially start airing as soon as Friday night's episode of SmackDown.