WWE NXT World Champion Trick Williams will always appreciate his matches with Ilja Dragunov which helped elevate Trick’s career to the next level.

Williams won the title from Dragunov at WWE NXT Spring Breakin’ (Night One) in a match that also saw Williams’ position as part of the NXT roster on the line.

On a recent edition of WWE’s “The Bump”, Williams spoke about his matches with the Mad Dragon. He said,

“Me and Ilja went to war four times, and I credit Ilja Dragunov as the opponent who’s taken my career to the next level on multiple occasions. The first time we had a match, it was probably around two years ago. That was the first time I think I was accepted as a true performer here, [and] knew that I belonged in this business.

“Second time after that was Heatwave. We went to war and everybody saw that like, ‘Oh, Trick Williams, he’s the real deal.’ The last time was Vengeance Day and when [Carmelo Hayes] turned on me, but another banger. So for me to finally get the win over Ilja Dragunov the fourth one, no doubt about it, that’s my brother. I love Ilja Dragunov.” 

Dragunov was called up to RAW as part of the 2024 WWE Draft. Williams’ former friend turned foe Carmelo Hayes has been drafted to WWE SmackDown.