Darby Allin defeated MJF on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru to win the AEW World Championship for the first time in his career.
The title change took place in the main event at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington, approximately 10 miles from where Allin began his professional wrestling training at the Buddy Wayne Academy. The match was presented commercial-free in its entirety with a 60-minute time limit and refereed by Aubrey Edwards.
How the Match Was Made
Allin earned his title shot by defeating Andrade El Idolo at Dynasty this past Sunday. MJF had employed the Don Callis Family to keep Allin away from the championship, with Don Callis putting Andrade in Allin’s path. Allin won regardless.
The show opened with Renee Paquette revealing that AEW upper management had been trying to reach MJF every hour for the past three days to inform him of the match, and that MJF still did not know. When informed, MJF refused to compete, claiming his back was hurt from wrestling close to an hour against Kenny Omega at Dynasty. He threatened lawsuits against Aubrey Edwards, Justin Roberts, Tony Khan, AEW, Warner Bros. Discovery, and the crowd.
Bryan Danielson relayed a message from Tony Khan that MJF would be given time to prepare and the match was moved to the main event. If MJF refused, he would be stripped of the title.
The Wait
The nearly two-hour delay between the scheduled opening match and the actual main event weighed on Allin. Excalibur called the wait “absolute agony” for the challenger. Bryan Danielson noted that when Sting approached Allin backstage before the match, “he didn’t have the same confidence that he did when he walked out at the beginning of the night.”
Sting told Allin before the match, “It’s not showtime. It’s your time. Go take it.”
Excalibur noted this was Allin’s fourth challenge for the AEW World Championship. He previously lost to Chris Jericho on the third episode of Dynamite in October 2019, to Jon Moxley in July 2020, and in a four-way match against MJF, Jack Perry, and Sammy Guevara at Double or Nothing 2023. Wednesday marked his first singles world title match in nearly six years.
The Match
MJF hit a low blow behind the referee’s back and then used his Dynamite Diamond Ring. He attempted the headlock takeover, the same move he used to beat Allin at Full Gear 2021 following a ring shot. Allin countered with a Scorpion Death Drop. Allin followed with multiple Coffin Drops, a headlock takeover and pinned MJF for the three count.
The AEW locker room emptied to celebrate with Allin in the ring. His family joined him at ringside. Excalibur said, “Where were you on Wednesday, April 15? I’ll tell you where I was, in Seattle, Washington, when Darby Allin claimed the richest prize in our sport and he became World Champion.” Bryan Danielson called it “a defining moment, not only for his career, but a defining moment for All Elite Wrestling.”
Earlier in the evening, Allin had delivered a promo about his journey: “All it takes is one night to drop the wrestling world on its head. If I’m not ready now, I’ll never be ready. I killed myself for this company. I climbed Mount Everest and I hung that flag on top of the world. The scars, the blood, everything. I’m ready. I’ve been ready.”
Tommaso Ciampa declared earlier in the night that he is coming for the AEW World Championship regardless of who holds it. Kevin Knight also stated he would be keeping a close eye on the title picture. AEW Dynamite airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on TBS and HBO Max.
