Who Could End Darby Allin’s TNT Title Reign Next?

Darby Allin has been nearly unstoppable since winning the AEW TNT Championship for a third time at All In London 2026, where he beat Kevin Knight in a Falls Count Anywhere match. Allin has since defended the belt five times, turning back challenges from Mark Davis, Hechicero and Josh Alexander among others. Given how often he’s been putting the title on the line, speculation is already swirling about who might finally take it off him — and a handful of names stand out as logical next challengers.

Tommaso Ciampa has unfinished business with the gold. ‘The Psycho Killer’ made history as the first wrestler to win an AEW championship in his debut match, capturing the TNT Title from Mark Briscoe on the January 31 episode of Collision, though that reign lasted just 11 days. Ciampa has already crossed paths with Allin once this year, and a rematch built around redemption would make plenty of sense.

Konosuke Takeshita remains one of the most dangerous free bodies on the roster, juggling commitments across AEW, NJPW and DDT. After falling short in the Clockwork Carnage at WrestleDream 2026, ‘The Alpha’ has yet to capture the TNT Championship, and a run at Allin could be the next step in his AEW singles push.

Then there’s Kevin Knight, the man Allin dethroned at All In London. Knight’s original reign set the promotion’s defense record at nine, and his story with Allin has layers dating back to his heel turn at Double Or Nothing 2026. Reclaiming the title would be a fitting continuation of a rivalry that’s already been simmering for months.

Wardlow adds another wrinkle. He returned to AEW for the first time in over a year on the September 30 Tribute to PAC edition of Dynamite, rejoining The Don Callis Family and immediately looking like his dominant old self. Wardlow is now set to face Allin’s side in the Men’s Blood and Guts match, and a win inside the two-ring structure could position him for a shot at a fourth TNT reign, which would be a record for the title.

Finally, there’s Ilja Dragunov, who arrived in AEW at WrestleDream 2026 and wasted no time making an impression, beating Speedball Mike Bailey in his in-ring debut on the October 21 Dynamite. ‘The Mad Dragon’ facing Allin for the TNT Championship is one of the more anticipated potential matchups for the newest addition to the roster, and it would be a natural way to plant his flag in the company.

None of this is set in stone, but it underlines just how stacked the TNT Championship picture has become under Allin. Between a vengeful former champion in Ciampa, a rejuvenated Wardlow gunning for history, Knight looking to reclaim what he lost, Takeshita searching for his first reign, and Dragunov looking to make an instant statement, AEW has no shortage of directions to take the title once Allin’s third run eventually comes to an end. For now, all eyes stay on the daredevil champion — but the line of challengers keeps growing.