Next AEW World Champion After Darby Allin

Published: Apr 23, 2026 by SP3 | Last Updated: Apr 23, 2026 by SP3

Born in Harlem, New York and now living in the Bronx, Sid Pullar III aka SP3 is a lifelong wrestling fan who has been covering the industry for over nine years as a podcaster and writer. His passion for the industry has been documented with over 3,000 videos on YouTube and 8,000 written pieces across multiple outlets, such as WrestleTalk, Sports Illustrated and more.

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Next AEW World Champion After Darby Allin

On the April 15 Spring BreakThru edition of AEW Dynamite, Darby Allin defeated MJF to win the AEW World Championship.

After capturing the top prize in All Elite Wrestling, Allin has a laundry list of potential challengers looking to take him down for the title.

With all these possible contenders gunning for the gold, it could be difficult who will be the next star to hold the AEW World Title following this surprise reign for Allin.

Here are seven potential next AEW World Champions after Darby Allin.

7. MJF

MJF’s second reign as AEW World Champion has come to an end at the hands of his rival Darby Allin.

After impressing everyone with a run that stands up to his record-breaking 406 day AEW World Title reign, Maxwell Jacob Friedman will be wanting to leave this loss as a distant memory.

Wanting to recapture the gold, MJF might invoke his rematch clause to get another opportunity at Allin after feeling cheated in their clash at AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru 2026.

MJF challenging Darby for the title at AEW Double Or Nothing 2026 could see him become a three-time world champion just a few minutes away from his home with this event taking place in New York City.

6. Tommaso Ciampa

On the April 15 Spring BreakThru episode of AEW Dynamite, Tommaso Ciampa defeated Dezmond Xavier.

After the win, Ciampa issued a challenge to the winner of the MJF vs. Darby Allin main event for the AEW World Title.

Following Darby’s victory to become the new champion, AEW President Tony Khan announced that Ciampa would challenge Allin for the gold on the April 22 Dynamite.

To shock the wrestling world two weeks in a row, Ciampa could continue his streak of challenging for a title and winning it on his first opportunity by becoming the new AEW World Champion on Dynamite.

5. Kevin Knight

At AEW Dynasty 2026, Kevin Knight won the Casino Gauntlet Match to win the vacant TNT Championship.

“The Jet” has garnered even more confidence than he had before after winning his first singles title in All Elite Wrestling.

After successfully defending the title against Claudio Castagnoli on AEW Dynamite: Spring BreakThru, Knight also threw his name in the hat as a potential challenger for the winner of MJF vs. Darby Allin later in the show.

With his previous win over the champion from their Continental Classic match last year that also took Allin out of action, Knight could be the one to dethrone Darby for the AEW World Title before his reign has really gotten going.

4. Andrade El Idolo

At the AEW Dynasty 2026 pay-per-view, Darby Allin defeated Andrade El Idolo to become the number one contender for the AEW World Championship.

After this loss, El Idolo showed some respect to Allin for being the better man on that night.

Now that Darby is the AEW World Champion, Andrade might look to run it back and finally get his opportunity at the top prize in the company.

Having chased the title ever since his return to the promotion in January, it feels like Andrade will not stop until he becomes the AEW World Champion sooner rather than later.

3. Swerve Strickland

Another AEW star who has had his firm sights on the AEW World Title since returning is Swerve Strickland.

Having returned from injury in November 2025, Strickland has made it no secret that his focus is on regaining the AEW World Champion.

Despite not being seen on AEW television since losing to Kenny Omega in a number one contenders match, it might be the right time for Swerve to make his return and challenge his old friend Darby Allin for the gold.

With their lengthy history and the numerous battles between the Pacific Northwest natives, Swerve feels like someone who knows Darby well enough to overcome him and win the AEW World Title.

2. Kenny Omega

At AEW Dynasty 2026, MJF defeated Kenny Omega to retain the AEW World Championship.

Following this loss, Omega had lost some of his confidence that he could regain the world title ever again, but a heart-to-heart conversation with Will Ospreay has seemingly changed his outlook.

“The Cleaner” feels more determined than ever to prove that he can still be “The Best Bout Machine” and capture the AEW World Championship one more time.

In a first time ever meeting, Omega is more than prepared for what Darby Allin has to offer and could be just the man to dethrone him for the gold.

1. Will Ospreay

After losing to Jon Moxley for the AEW Continental Championship at Dynasty 2026, Will Ospreay was also feeling down just like Kenny Omega, but he realized that he needs to refocus and get back on track to go after the AEW World Title.

Since returning to the company at AEW Revolution 2026, “The Aerial Assassin” has looked to once again prove that he can still be one of the best in the business today.

Ospreay eventually winning the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament and challenging for the AEW World Championship at All In: London is something many fans are looking forward to.

However, Ospreay could get the opportunity early and be the one to dethrone Darby Allin for the title sooner rather than later.