With his second-ever defense of the NXT Championship officially on the books for Week 2 of Halloween Havoc, Ilja Dragunov followed his challenger, Carmelo Hayes, in having a sitdown interview with lead commentator Vic Joseph about his current place in the WWE Universe, the tough road he took to the promotion, and, most importantly of all, how he plans to go from the hunter to the hunted as the top star in developmental.

Asked how it felt to finally achieve his dream, Dragunov revealed the road he took to NXT and why he's proud of everything he's achieved.

“You know Vic, I recently talked about how it was my destiny to become the NXT Champion, and those words were not just words. Since I was a child, life was a struggle,” Ilja Dragunov told the WWE Universe. “My family moved from Russia to Germany, and we had nothing. I learned very fast that I can endure every pain as long as it has a reason and this is exactly that that brought me here. I'm very proud to be the NXT Champion. I traveled home recently, and my son was holding this title for the very first time, and the look in his eyes, he looked at me with pride in his father, and this was the most [chef's kiss] excellent motivation to continue on as a great champion.”

Will Dragunov's strategy change heading into Halloween Havoc, Joseph wondered, as he'll have the champion's advantage for the first time in his American NXT career? Unsurprisingly, the “Czar” said no, as he plans to keep the same level of intensity that brought him to the dance into the future.

“Oh Vic, only because I walk into Halloween Havoc as champion, my attack doesn't change; it might even intensify,” Dragunov said. “Because I understand the pain that it took me to achieve this. I recognize that this will be another classic; that I will bend, but I won't break. Carmelo Hayes will break exactly the same way he did at No Mercy.”

Still, Joseph persisted, wondering if Dragunov will have to change up his style heading into his rubber match against the man affectionately known to the WWE Universe as simply “Him.” Dragunov, to his credit, held firm, asserting that it will be Hayes, not himself, who will have to adapt to what's in front of him.

“Vic, I don't understand the question, because I don't adjust to anyone; my opponents adjust to me, Carmelo Hayes will enter this fight as a desperate man desperate to regain his championship. But I believe that Melo isn't fully focused on this title like he used to be. My mind has been on this title for a very long time, Carmelo can't say the same, and this will be his downfall; the intangibles could prove to be the deciding factor. This represents 30 years of sacrifice; visible proof that I am ‘Unbesiegbar!'”

Is Dragunov correct? Will his evaluation prove on the money, and Hayes will crumble under the pressure of his own expectations? Or will he prove un-“Unbesiegbar,” taking the biggest loss of his WWE career thus far? Fans only have one more week to wait in order to find out.

Ilja Dragunov reflects on meeting John Cena in NXT.

Stopping by TV Insider to discuss being the NXT Champion, his forthcoming match at Halloween Havoc, and his experience sharing a locker room with some of the all-time greats on 10/10, Ilja Dragunov was asked how it felt to get to meet performers like The Undertaker and John Cena live and in person for the first time in his professional wrestling career.

Though Dragunov was already a fan, getting to meet Taker, Paul Heyman, and Cena, who “pulled him aside” for a quick conversation, was an incredible experience.

“It wasn’t a long conversation. What I really appreciated was him just randomly pulling me aside. This was something that doesn’t happen every day. He spoke about making moments and building a connection. That is what we were talking about. He gives you a whole different perspective, even when you may have the same opinion on things. When you have his approval, then you have the right mindset for this business, and you are on the right path,” Dragunov told  TV Insider.

“Meeting those legendary performers for the first time. You feel the connection between the present and the past in a very special way. A lot of people felt proud because you watched those guys growing up, and now you’re in the same working environment. It gets you feeling in life, you feel everything is possible.”

Will the day eventually come when some young performer is excited to meet and pick the brain of Dragunov? If he keeps progressing at this current clip, that feels all but guaranteed.