Darby Allin has been forced to withdraw from the 2025 AEW Continental Classic after suffering a legitimate head injury during his opening match against Kevin Knight.
The announcement came during Saturday's AEW Collision in Columbus, Ohio, where commentator Tony Schiavone confirmed that Allin was not medically cleared to continue in the tournament. Jack Perry has been named as his replacement in the Gold League.
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What Happened to Darby Allin?
Allin was injured during his November 26 match against Kevin Knight on the Thanksgiving Eve edition of Dynamite. While the match saw Knight pick up the victory, the bigger story was the legitimate injury Allin sustained during the bout.
According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Allin suffered a head injury from a "singular blow" during the match. Initial speculation pointed to Knight's coast-to-coast dropkick as the cause, but Meltzer clarified that was not the case, instead attributing the injury to a "real bad fall" during a different spot.
Following the match, Allin was rushed to the hospital. He was shown in a hospital bed wearing a neck brace on the December 3 episode of Dynamite, when Excalibur announced he was not medically cleared for competition or travel.
Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio later reported that while Allin was hospitalized for a period, he has since been discharged and is recovering at home.
Darby Allin's Emotional Promo
In a backstage promo aired on Collision, a frustrated Allin addressed his situation:
"The last year, I've thought I was winning this war with the Death Riders, but in reality, I was just winning the battle. They're winning the war. You know why? Because they're out here week in and week out wrestling, doing f***ing push-ups.
"I was wrestling Kevin Knight. For the first time in my career, I was scared. I felt my legs give out. I was rushed to the hospital. And I guess the AEW doctors are taking me out of this Continental Classic, and that's fine! If you want to save Darby from Darby, that's fine, I don't give a s***.
"And I hear Jack Perry's taking my spot. I've never seen eye-to-eye with Jack Perry, but if you're taking my spot, man, go on, win the whole f***ing thing! I hope you do! As for Darby, I don't know. I don't... know."
Jack Perry Steps In
Jack Perry will inherit Allin's spot in the Gold League, starting with zero points. His remaining matches in the tournament will be against Kyle Fletcher, Kazuchika Okada, PAC, and "Speedball" Mike Bailey.
Perry faces an uphill battle, as Kyle Fletcher currently leads the Gold League with 6 points (2-0), while Okada, PAC, and Kevin Knight are all tied at 3 points. Perry will need to win most, if not all, of his remaining matches to have a realistic shot at advancing to the semifinals at Worlds End on December 27.
The former TNT and Tag Team Champion returns to singles competition after spending recent months as part of Jurassic Express. This represents his first significant singles push since late 2024.
What's Next for Darby Allin?
There is currently no timeline for Allin's return to in-ring action. As Meltzer noted, head injuries have unpredictable recovery periods—Allin could potentially return in a matter of weeks, or could be sidelined for months.
Despite being pulled from the tournament, Allin made clear his rivalry with the Death Riders is far from over. The faction—which includes Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, PAC, and Marina Shafir—has been a dominant force in AEW and figures to be a focal point of Allin's eventual return.
AEW's decision to replace Allin rather than have him forfeit his remaining matches follows the precedent set in the 2024 Continental Classic. The tournament continues this week with Dynamite Winter Is Coming on December 10 and Collision Winter Is Coming on December 13.
