Bryan Danielson wasn’t the only Washington native to achieve success on the January 4th episode of AW Dynamite. In the show’s main-event, Samoa Joe defended his TNT Championship against Seattle native Darby Allin.
Darby Allin was all business before the bell even rang. After Joe pie-faced 17-year-old AEW signee Nick Wayne, Allin dove onto Joe and brawled with him around the ringside area and up the entrance ramp. Then Allin showed his trademark daredevilry as he setup a ladder and dove off the top of it and onto Joe.
Allin overcomes incredible odds to win AEW TNT Championship for the second time
Despite Allin’s bravery, Samoa Joe spent the next several minutes manhandling his challenger. During the picture-in-picture break, Joe threw Allin into the ringpost so hard Allin flew through the air spinning before crashing on the mats below.
The match seemed over when suddenly Darby Allin escaped a Muscle Buster. From there he did his best to try and escape Joe’s second finisher the Coquina Clutch. He failed and ended up locked in the punishing submission hold.
But instead of passing out – even as Joe tightened his grip – Allin fought through. Then Allin hit the Bret/Piper finish by kicking himself out of a corner to flip over into a pinning position while still locked in Joe’s hold. He only got a two-count but it was enough for Joe to release his hold.
Then Darby Allin managed to string together a winning combination consisting of a Code Red and two Coffin Drops to get the pin and the win.
After the match, Allin was joined by his friend and tag team partner Sting, who came to the ring unannounced and without music to celebrate Allin’s title victory with him as the show went off the air.
Darby Allin hasn’t held the championship since May 2021, when he lost the title to Miro.