WWE Superstar Tama Tonga has responded to Dave Meltzer after a social media post involving former WWE star Ilja Dragunov sparked discussion within the wrestling community.
The controversy began when Tonga shared footage on Instagram from a previous WWE SmackDown match featuring himself and Dragunov.
The clip showed Tonga no-selling a series of chops from Dragunov, with the timing of the post attracting attention because it came just days after Dragunov made his AEW debut.
Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com subsequently discussed the video, suggesting that it resembled an old promotional tactic associated with wrestling figures Bill Watts and Ole Anderson during the 1980s.
According to Meltzer, the approach involved highlighting footage of rival WWE performers being beaten up to make a promotion’s own wrestlers appear stronger.
Tonga has now addressed the reaction to his Instagram post, making it clear that he disagreed with Meltzer’s interpretation. “I put out a post on Dragunov. Boy, it started stirring some sh*t! Am I the only one that thought it was a good post? Great uncle Dave over here said I took it from a playbook. I don’t even read a playbook.”
Tonga continued by criticizing Meltzer’s comments and expressing frustration with wrestling reporters who contacted him seeking clarification about the situation. “Lying ass Davey Boy. Just making up sht. I do gotta say, them wrestling news guys, they be direct messaging me. ‘Is this true? Is this real?’ You know what I say? Get the fck outta here.”
Tonga’s response suggests that he did not appreciate the speculation surrounding his decision to share the footage, particularly the suggestion that the post was part of a deliberate promotional strategy.
The situation has generated additional attention because of Dragunov’s recent move to AEW, with the former WWE star beginning a new chapter of his wrestling career.
While Meltzer drew comparisons to historical promotional tactics, Tonga dismissed the interpretation and pushed back against reporters questioning his intentions.
Tonga has not provided any further explanation regarding why he originally selected the footage of his match with Dragunov.
Before Uncle Dave gets on his podcast he needs to take a 15 minute nap before he gets on"
"I got sources inside WWE, nobody said sh*t, lying ass davie boy just making up shit"
"Them wrestling news guys be in my dms asking me "if this is true" you know what i tell em? GTFO"
– TAMA TONGA SNAPS ON DIRTSHEETS AND DAVE MELTZER.
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) October 21, 2026
