WWE Rumors on Dragon Lee's New Contract & Jordynne Grace, Ilja Dragunov Talks Pay Cut Speculation

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

Dragon Lee Reportedly Re-Signs with WWE

Amid his recent run of entertaining matches on Raw, Dragon Lee is reportedly remaining with WWE for the long haul.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlePurists), Lee agreed to a new contract with WWE, and it is believed to be five years in length.

PWInsider added that Lee's previous deal had been set to expire at some point in October.

A 31-year-old Superstar from Mexico, Lee has been with WWE since 2022, following stints with CMLL, AAA, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Ring of Honor and AEW.

Lee held the NXT North American Championship, WWE Speed Championship and World Tag Team Championship one time each, but he is arguably enjoying his greatest run of success right now.

For much of 2026, Lee has been in the Intercontinental Championship mix, challenging Penta for the title in a singles match in March and as part of a six-man ladder match at WrestleMania 42.

Since Chad Gable beat Penta for the IC title at SummerSlam, Lee has challenged him for the championship on multiple occasions as well.

That included a singles bout on the Sept. 14 episode of Raw in Mexico City, and a Triple Threat that also involved Rey Mysterio this week on Raw.

Despite falling short in each instance, Lee has gained a great deal of equity with the viewing audience thanks to his spectacular performances in those matches.

Now that Lee is reportedly locked in for five years, it may only be a matter of time before he breaks through and becomes IC champ.

Latest on WWE's Reported Creative Plans for Jordynne Grace

New details have emerged regarding Jordynne Grace's status amid her lengthy absence from WWE programming.

According to Fightful Select (h/t WrestlePurists), there were plans in place as of last month for Grace to form a tag team with Ivy Nile.

It was reportedly anticipated that WWE would begin teasing the tag team at some point in September by airing vignettes that Grace and Nile had filmed.

Despite that, Grace has remained absent from WWE TV, as she last wrestled on SmackDown back in April, and last wrestled a match of any kind on Main Event in June.

WrestleVotes on Fightful Select (h/t WrestlePurists) reported that the reason for Grace's absence is that she is "not in the creative plans."

It was also noted by WrestleVotes that Grace recently took part in a fitness competition, so it was speculated that it could have extended her absence beyond what was initially planned, although that has not been confirmed.

Grace, 30, officially signed with WWE in January 2025 following a hugely successful run in TNA that saw her hold the Knockouts World Championship three times.

Although Grace has yet to hold a title in WWE, she has impressed from an in-ring perspective when given the opportunity thanks to her combination of strength and athleticism.

Teaming up with Nile could be exactly what she needs in order to get back in the mix and showcase her skills, but for now, that plan appears to be in a holding pattern.

AEW's Dragunov Addresses WWE Contract Offer

Ilja Dragunov declined to get into specifics regarding the contract offer WWE made him before he decided to leave and sign with AEW.

During an interview this week on the Ariel Helwani Show (h/t Subhojeet Mukherjee of Ringside News), Dragunov was asked about his contract situation and negotiations with WWE prior to his departure:

Dragunov noted that the talks "did not lead anywhere," and when asked if WWE wanted him to take a pay cut, he said, "Did they offer me a pay cut? To be honest, I am too much of a discreet businessman to talk about these kinds of things."

The Mad Dragon added, "Everything I can say is there was nothing I felt was satisfying and nothing that gave me the perspective of, like, 'Okay, I must stick with here.'"

Dragunov, 33, was under contract with WWE since 2019 before recently becoming a free agent.

He held both the NXT United Kingdom Championship and NXT Championship before getting called up to the main roster and becoming a one-time United States champion.

However, Dragunov was kept off television for months after last wrestling in April, apparently due to the fact that he was on an expiring contract.

He and WWE were unable to reach an agreement on a new deal, which paved the way for him to join AEW, making his debut last weekend at WrestleDream.

Wednesday night on Dynamite, Dragunov will compete in his AEW debut match against "Speedball" Mike Bailey.