The news fans were bracing for has now been confirmed, as Darby Allin has been forced out of this year’s AEW Continental Classic after competing in only one match.

The announcement came during Saturday’s AEW Collision, confirming that the injuries Allin sustained ten days earlier in his tournament bout against Kevin Knight on Dynamite were serious enough to remove him from the field. Details surrounding the exact nature of those injuries remain unclear, though they were significant enough to require hospitalisation.

AEW has confirmed that “Jungle” Jack Perry will step in as Allin’s replacement. Perry will pause his ongoing work with Jurassic Express to return to singles action for the first time since November 2024. Much like Komander, who entered last year’s tournament after Juice Robinson withdrew, Perry joins the competition at a clear disadvantage due to the late timing.

This marks Perry’s first entry into the Continental Classic, and he now enters the Gold league alongside Knight, Kazuchika Okada, PAC, Kyle Fletcher, and Mike Bailey. There has already been a hint of what may come, as Perry and Okada recently shared a tense staredown.

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