MJF Gives Darby Allin a Backhanded Compliment After Their AEW Title Rivalry

MJF has weighed in on his heated rivalry with Darby Allin, offering the kind of praise only he could deliver — equal parts insult and grudging respect. Speaking publicly, the former AEW World Champion summed Allin up bluntly: no brains, but plenty of heart.

The two locked horns over the AEW World Championship throughout the middle portion of 2026, with the title changing hands in the process. Darby Allin initially dethroned MJF to claim the championship, kicking off what became one of the more compelling feuds AEW has produced this year.

MJF’s comments are vintage Salt of the Earth — he’s rarely going to hand out a clean compliment, and calling someone heartful while questioning their intelligence fits squarely in his wheelhouse. Still, coming from a man who rarely acknowledges his opponents’ strengths at all, even a qualified nod toward Allin carries some weight. The two have a history of coaxing genuinely emotional, hard-hitting matches out of each other, and this rivalry appears to have been no different.

Allin, for his part, has built his entire career on proving doubters wrong — thriving precisely because opponents underestimate what he’s willing to put his body through. Whether MJF’s assessment ends up serving as motivation for another chapter between them remains to be seen, but the door doesn’t sound entirely closed on this rivalry. When MJF is still talking about you, it usually means the story isn’t finished.