Prologue
Over the last month and change, Darby’s Allin’s done his damndest to flip what it means to be world champion on its head. Since winning the AEW World Championship a month ago, he’s defended it five times, a pace mirroring the breakneck speed of the Attitude Era. It’s a lot like a good comic book trade, having the issues all in a collection to see where the stories are going with no interruptions, but knowing that this thing was created with a definitive ending in mind. With MJF’s rematch looming at Double or Nothing, if this thing wraps up quickly, it was an absolute shotgun blast and all the ways it hit deserve a moment.
Issue #1 - Psycho Submission
Allin’s first title defense, much to the chagrin of a livid, still reeling former champion MJF, was against Tommaso Ciampa, the revitalized rough-houser who won the TNT Championship his first match in AEW.
Even with no issue outside of the championship, the match immediately went to the outside, with Allin executing a top rope Coffin Drop early on. A lot of the match established Ciampa’s ability to dominate both a sprint and a slow climb, using every part of the ring, including its metal base, to maim and maul Allin. Never to be outdone, Allin would ascend to the top of the corner post to crash down on Ciampa, going from the ring to the bell area with his unique aerial grace. A bloody and battered Ciampa would highlight the match with an air raid crash from the middle rope to the floor, leaving the champion motionless and the challenger holding his hip in unnerving pain. The strength of AEW has always been how much each match means to the competitor, and without pageantry or pontification, you felt just how bad both guys wanted to win. Ultimately, Allin would clamp on the Scorpion Deathlock and despite Ciampa’s efforts, he’d be forced to submit. In a world where so many of Allin’s wins were built on a survival, or a last gasp, to have him bulldoze MJF, then get one wrestling’s most stalwart stars to give up was a great launching point for his reign.
Issue #2 - A King’s Maker
Allin’s calling card has always been the amount of pain he’ll put himself through to outlast and outdo the man across from him. He’ll fall from impossible heights, he’ll collide with impenetrable walls, he’ll take shots from immobilizing objects. But maybe the most impressive visual he’s been part of was at 2022’s Royal Rampage where Brody King, AEW’s monstrous man of the people, would dangle him from the ring apron with Allin locked in a sleeper hold. Over the years, the two have found some incredible ways to play up their incredible size difference, while finding logical (for pro wrestling) ways to establish them as competitive peers. Even opening the match with a handshake shows the respect King’s developed for Allin over the years, with Allin showing off the urgency needed to compete with King by immediately going for a corner dropkick. One of the best things about the match was the commentary, with the entire crew acknowledging Darby’s size and frame but playing up how he’s almost always at a size disadvantage, but still finds ways to win. King, to his credit, doesn’t waste time or space; every single thing he did in the match was supposed to hurt. He’d crash down onto Allin with a Senton Splash, suplex him onto the apron, and even with Allin on his back, would dive though the announce table to cover to inflict even more pain. He’d survive one of the hardest clotheslines you’ll ever see and would find his opening after King missed a running Senton into the barricade. He power bombed King from the apron onto the exposed floor. Then, as King beat the 10 count, would hit him with successive coffin drops to seal the win. No one’s supposed to dominate someone as large and thoroughly violent as King, but Allin being able to find these aberrant ways to win the toughest matches are why he stands out in a locker room full of standouts.
Issue #3 - Jet Fuel
Tony Khan’s easiest layup in a while was looking over at Kevin Knight and saying “yup, we got one.” The current TNT Champion had been presented as a tag team specialist at most of his stops and has excelled with Speedball Mike Bailey as one half of ‘JetSpeed,’ but he’s finally getting his shine as one of wrestling’s true young stars. If Ciampa is the veteran to test your mind and King is the monster to test your heart, then Kevin Knight is an upstart to measure your ego and timing. The two both learned their trade in the Pacific Northwest, training under the late Buddy Wayne. While Darby found success earlier, Knight’s a bit more traveled over the years, having spent time in both TNA and New Japan. So now Allin was faced with a challenger with a similar base and understanding, but a whole new set of tricks and tips to bring to the table. The two both took the time to peacock a bit, but they’d also challenge the other’s athleticism, highlighted by Knight’s leaping Hurricanrana from the apron to ringside, then his springboard leap from the top rope to the announce table. They’d even call back to Knight’s “Coast to Coast” dropkick that took Allin out of the Continental Classic, with Knight almost defeating Allin but taking an extra moment pin him due to a knee injury.
Ultimately, Allin would out maneuver the overzealous Knight with a pair of Coffin Drops to retain. What was so fun is that secondary to world title hierarchy that WCW had with talents like DDP and Sting, was on display. Knight, the secondary champion was SO CLOSE to the world champion, but just one or two moments behind, showing that he’s a slight peg below Allin as world champ.
Issue #4 - Runnin’ Around Like He PAC
After this impossible lineup of challengers, maybe you’d take a little time off and do something fun. Maybe hit a resort, lay by the pool, play 18 holes with the crew. Darby Allin agrees, kind of, as his next move was to the golf course. But, in Darby Allin fashion, it was to fight an absolute killer that’s beaten him more often than not. He’d find himself defending the time against PAC, the absolute boulder of a man known for his frown, fury and flight. They’d quite literally fight across the indoor golf course of West Palm Beach, FL’s SoFi Center, hitting each other with destroyers and press slams into the unforgiving bunker. They’d finally hit the ring, with PAC tying Allin’s neck to the turnbuckle ropes, then kicking him repeatedly in the skull. It’s as bad as Allin’s been beaten in a long time, suffering moves like a top rope falcon arrow. PAC’s Death Riders brethren Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta would set up a quarter of tables, while PAC carried Allin backstage, beating him throughout the building. They’d ascend a floor up, then PAC would toss Allin down through the stack of tables, and rush him into the ring for the 2.9999999 count. Allin’s superpower is living through the wildest shit possible and he’d repay those disingenuous favors with a low blow, belt shot and Coffin Drop to survive the toughest physical challenge he’s seen in ages.
Issue #5 - First Take
If Konosuke Takeshita isn’t the best wrestler in the world, he’s at least on the podium, ready to Blue Thunder Bomb the other guys or gals off.
The guy can do it all, be it all, and make it all look so damn good. He’d lead off by tossing Allin halfway across the ring, and shrugging off a top rope shoulder block, then back body dropping Allin somewhere towards Neptune. He’d catch Allin again and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb from the apron to the floor. It was just an impossible feat of strength and focus. More so than any other title defense, Allin was on the defensive, and every time he’d find a bit of light, the Shadow from Osaka would catch him and crush him. In maybe the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in years, Takeshita hit Allin with a top rope German suplex … into a bridging pin. You… you aren’t supposed to be able to do that! Takeshita, working on his own story, would refuse assistance from Don Callis in a desire to win the title on his own merit. Allin would find just enough of an opening to apply the Scorpion Deathlock, then hit a worn out Takeshita with two Coffin Drops to retain. It was the most “fight from under” defense out of the quintet and what Allin lacks in tangible physical presence, he continues to make up for with his ability to survive and make it seem like he’s actually working his hardest to find victories.
Epilogue
Finding creative ways to tell a story in such a short period of time is quite the task, but Darby Allin and his myriad of challengers were able to find new, interesting things to do at every turn. The mental fortitude of a Ciampa, the all out physicality of a King, Kevin Knight’s athleticism and showmanship, PAC’s sadistic, unrelenting violence and the top to bottom excellence of Takeshita each made for compelling competition. Darby Allin has established himself as a different kind of World Champion. One chasing the rush of the monster trucks and mountain summits he’s grown accustomed to. If he fails to turn MJF into MJ at Double or Nothing, he’s created a brand new brand on the champions tree — one that wants to show that a dead sprint can be the coolest race of all.
How do you grade Darby Allin’s AEW World Championship run so far? Let us know in the comments!
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Great piece on this
Terrific title run