Darby Allin was legitimately hospitalized following his November 26 match against Kevin Knight on AEW Dynamite, and his status in the Continental Classic tournament is now up in the air.
The former TNT Champion—famous for putting his body on the line—suffered real injuries during the bout, and it’s not part of any storyline. On the December 3 edition of Dynamite, Excalibur announced that Allin was not cleared to compete and that further updates would be shared on Collision.
Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer Radio confirmed the injury was legitimate and clarified rumors about the extent of Allin’s hospital stay.
“Somebody tweeted that he had been in the hospital for a week and he was still there. That’s not quite true. What happened was he got hurt in the Kevin Knight match last week,” Alvarez said. “The spot that looked the scariest was the coast-to-coast dropkick. He got smashed with that move. I don’t know if that’s the move where he got hurt, but he got hurt.”
As for where things stand now, Allin has been discharged and is back home, but his future in the tournament is unclear.
“He was in the hospital for a while, but they did clear him because he ended up going home. So he can travel. He’s out of the hospital,” Alvarez added. “The impression I was given was they’re going to find out more on Collision. He might stay in the tournament, and he might not. They have to, I guess, figure it out in the next few days, depending on how he’s doing.”
Allin is part of the Gold League in AEW’s Continental Classic—a loaded block featuring Kazuchika Okada, Kyle Fletcher, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, PAC, and Kevin Knight. As of the December 3 Dynamite, Fletcher leads with 6 points, Okada has 3, and Allin sits at 0 after his loss to Knight.
If Allin is pulled from the tournament, AEW may be forced to award forfeits to his remaining opponents, which would drastically shake up the Gold League standings. Fans will likely get a final answer during Collision in Columbus, Ohio.
Do you think Darby Allin should continue in the tournament, or should AEW prioritize his recovery and pull him now? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
