Darby Allin is the new AEW World Champion — and he won it in front of his hometown crowd in Everett, Washington. Allin defeated MJF on Wednesday’s Spring BreakThru Dynamite to end MJF’s second title reign, hitting the former champion with four coffin drops and a side headlock takeover for the pin in a match that lasted only a few minutes but delivered one of the biggest emotional moments in recent AEW history.
The finish was a callback to their previous AEW encounter, with the sequence beginning after an MJF low blow was answered by a Darby low blow of his own, followed by a Scorpion Death Drop and the finishing sequence. Sting — Allin’s former AEW Tag Team Championship partner — made a surprise appearance before the match, telling Allin it was not showtime but his time. Sting then participated in the post-match celebration alongside the locker room.
MJF Tried to Refuse the Match Before Bryan Danielson Intervened on Behalf of Tony Khan
The path to the match itself involved significant drama. MJF claimed he was not aware the title defense was happening despite it being announced Sunday night after Dynasty, saying AEW officials had been trying to reach him all week. He came to the ring irate, ran down the crowd, threatened to sue everyone involved, and claimed his back was hurt from Sunday’s main event with Kenny Omega. Bryan Danielson rose from commentary to relay a message from Tony Khan — the match would happen in the main event, and if MJF refused to defend, he would be stripped of the title. MJF’s second reign began at last December’s Worlds End and included seven successful title defenses before ending at Allin’s hands in his hometown.