With an AEW World Championship match against Kenny Omega at AEW Redemption 2026 on the horizon, Kevin Knight wanted to continue making history as AEW TNT Champion by becoming the first man to have 10 successful defenses. In order to do that, he would have to defeat the former AEW World Champion Darby Allin, who beat Knight back in May. However, the July 22 episode of “AEW Dynamite” was taking place in the same building where Knight first defeated Darby, and after a little help from his title belt, “The Jet” picked up the win.
Darby didn’t waste any time in getting things started as he hit a Lope, threw Knight into the crowd and Clotheslined him back over the guardrail. He was in full control in the early going and wanted to get things done early as he hit a Diving Elbow off the ring post and through the timekeeper’s table. The action continued on the outside, but Darby was pushed off the ramp and crotched himself on the guardrail, before being given a Slingshot that saw him go face first into the steel steps. That would bust Darby open, but once again, that didn’t stop the challenger as he was able to hit an Avalanche Code Red for a near fall, and then a Coffin Splash to the outside as the match entered the commercial break.
During the break, the match slowed down as Darby decided to try and wear the champion down by targeting the arm. The two would enter a strike exchange that continued as the match returned from commercial, and after a double down, it was Knight who got the advantage but only momentarily as Darby went for the Scorpion Death Drop.
However, Knight countered and managed to knock referee Paul Turner out of the ring, leading to Knight grabbing the title belt, but Darby ducked when Knight went to strike him with the title and landed the Scorpion Death Drop. Darby went for the Coffin Drop but Knight quickly got up and hit him with the title belt, and followed it up with a Coast-To-Coast Drop Kick and a UFO Splash to earn the victory.
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