It appears that WWE star Ilja Dragunov, who suffered a torn ACL injury in September 2024 during a live event, will be pulling a John Cena in 2008 with his eventual return. He has received an update on his injury, and he could be back in the ring sooner rather than later.
Fightful Select reports that Dragunov is back in the Performance Center and training for his in-ring return. That means he is already back in the ring less than four months after suffering the injury. A torn ACL typically keeps athletes out of action for over double that time.
This update is great news for fans of Dragunov. He is one of the top stars on Monday Night RAW, which just moved to Netflix. His eventual return will add a boost to the midcard that the show desperately needs.
The injury occurred at an untelevised WWE live event in Columbus, Georgia. He faced his biggest rival, Gunther, in a match for the World Heavyweight Championship.
During it, Dragunov tore his ACL. Despite the gruesome injury, he walked out on his own volition afterward. To make matters worse, Gunther had him in a Boston Crab submission hold, which focuses on the leg.
When WWE announced the injury, they said he would be out for six to nine months. That no longer appears to be the case with the latest report.
When will WWE's Ilja Dragunov return from injury?

It is great that Dragunov is making a speedy recovery from the torn ACL. However, it will likely still be some time before he makes his way back to the ring.
The Royal Rumble is coming up on February 1, 2025, and would make for a grand return if he was ready. But the odds of his ACL being ready in time for the battle royal is unlikely. Making it back to the Performance Center is the first step in his recovery, and hopefully, he will be back before WrestleMania 41 or in the summer.
Remember, Charlotte Flair also suffered a brutal leg injury, tearing her ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Despite the three injuries, she was training shortly after her surgery as well. And yet, she has not returned to WWE yet and has been out of action for over a year. They are just beginning to tease her return.
Either way, it will be a highly-anticipated return once Dragunov is back in the mix. He is best known for his time in NXT UK. H had several acclaimed matches against Gunther, who went by Walter in the developmental brand.
During his NXT reign, Dragunov held the NXT UK Championship for over 300 days. He was forced to vacate it due to injury, ending the reign prematurely.
He later won the NXT Championship from Carmelo Hayes, becoming the first WWE Superstar to win the NXT and NXT UK Championships. Dragunov held the NXT Championship for over 200 days before losing it to Trick Williams.
Dragunov was then drafted to RW during the 2024 WWE Draft. He competed in the King of the Ring tournament, losing to Jey Uso in the quarterfinals. Before his injury, he also feuded with Bron Breakker.