Darby Allin

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Ratsch began his professional wrestling career in 2014, competing for various independent promotions including EVOLVE, Progress Wrestling, Major League Wrestling, and Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide before signing with AEW in 2019. Since then, he has become one of the promotion’s most featured performers, appearing in major matches at events such as All Out, Full Gear, Revolution, and All In, and winning championships, including the AEW TNT Championship thrice, the AEW World Championship once, and the AEW World Tag Team Championship once (with Sting). His wrestling persona incorporates influences from punk rock and skateboarding culture and is known for a high-risk, unorthodox in-ring style. Outside the ring, Ratsch lives a straight edge lifestyle and has pursued interests in filmmaking, skateboarding, and mountaineering.

In Their Own Story

The arena lights dimmed, leaving only a single spotlight on the entrance ramp. Darby Allin walked out slowly, chains clinking rhythmically against his boots. The crowd roared, a mix of anticipation and concern hanging in the humid air. He climbed the turnbuckle without hesitation, peering over the ropes at the canvas below. There was no fear in his stance, only a quiet resolve. As he raised his arms, the bandana obscured his vision completely, yet he seemed to see everything clearly.

Reader's Guide

Samuel Ratsch was born in Seattle on January 7, 1993. During his youth, he participated in track and field and played football, inspired in part by one of his grandfathers, who had played in the National Football League. He also briefly took part in amateur wrestling, mistakenly believing it was the same as professional wrestling. Ratsch attended a film school in Arizona but left to pursue a career in skateboarding. He was trained by AR Fox and Buddy Wayne. In 2014, under the ring name Darby Graves, he made his debut for Blue Collar Wrestling in Portland, Oregon. He later adopted the ring name Darby Allin and competed extensively across the American independent circuit between 2015 and 2019. During this time, he wrestled for a variety of promotions including EVOLVE, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), The Wrestling Revolver, and Full Impact Pro (FIP). Allin became a regular performer for EVOLVE, a promotion affiliated with the World Wrestling Network (WWN), making his debut at EVOLVE 59 in April 2016. Over the next three years, he frequently appeared for both EVOLVE and WWN-affiliated events until April 2019. He also appeared in Major League Wrestling (MLW) between 2017 and 2018, beginning at MLW One-Shot. He departed MLW in April 2018 due to scheduling conflicts with other promotions. Allin made a one-off appearance for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide at the 2018 Verano de Escándalo, competing in a six-way match. He also toured with British promotion Progress Wrestling in 2018 and 2019 during its events in the United States and its annual Super Strong Style 16 tournament. In April 2019, Allin signed with the recently established All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Two months later at Fyter Fest, he had his first match for the promotion, wrestling Cody to a time-limit draw. He then teamed with Joey Janela and Jimmy Havoc in a loss at Fight for the Fallen in July, leading to a three-way match between the trio at All Out in August, which Havoc won. Later that year, Allin challenged AEW World Champion Chris Jericho on the October 16 episode of Dynamite, but was unsuccessful. In January 2020, he competed in a four-man tournament for a championship opportunity, where he was eliminated by Pac in the opening round. He then entered a rivalry with Sammy Guevara, culminating in a win at Revolution on February 29. Allin participated in the tournament to crown

Did You Know?

• His real name is Samuel Ratsch, not Andrew Jacobs.
• He began his professional wrestling career in 2014, not 2019.
• His ring style is described as 'high-risk, unorthodox', not 'Suicide High-Flying'.
• He has won the AEW TNT Championship thrice, the AEW World Championship once, and the AEW World Tag Team Championship once.
• He lives a straight edge lifestyle and has interests in filmmaking, skateboarding, and mountaineering.