Darby Allin Bio
Samuel Ratsch, known professionally as Darby Allin, is an American professional wrestler born on January 7, 1993, in Seattle, Washington. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Darby Allin and has built a reputation as one of the promotion’s most daring and featured performers. Ratsch is a two-time AEW TNT Champion and a one-time AEW World Tag Team Champion, having held the tag titles alongside the legendary Sting.
He began his professional wrestling career in 2014, working for various independent promotions before signing with AEW in 2019. Since then, he has become a fixture of major AEW events, including All Out, Full Gear, Revolution, and All In. His wrestling persona blends punk rock and skateboarding influences into a high-risk, unorthodox in-ring style. Outside the ring, he lives a straight edge lifestyle and has pursued interests in filmmaking, skateboarding, and mountaineering.
Early Life and Background
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 as a child, mistakenly believing it was the same as professional wrestling.
Ratsch later attended a film school in Arizona, but he chose to leave those studies in order to pursue a career in skateboarding. His lifelong interest in extreme sports, film, and counterculture ultimately shaped the direction his adult career would take. These formative experiences helped him develop the athletic base and creative sensibilities that would later define his wrestling persona.
Path to Professional Wrestling
After stepping away from film school, Ratsch turned his attention to the wrestling industry. He was trained by Buddy Wayne, a respected veteran of the Pacific Northwest wrestling scene. In 2014, under the ring name Darby Graves, he made his professional debut for Blue Collar Wrestling in Portland, Oregon, and soon adopted the better-known ring name Darby Allin.
Over the next five years, Allin worked extensively across the American independent circuit, competing for promotions such as EVOLVE, Game Changer Wrestling (GCW), Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG), The Wrestling Revolver, and Full Impact Pro (FIP). He made his EVOLVE debut at EVOLVE 59 in April 2016 and became a regular performer for the World Wrestling Network (WWN)-affiliated brand. He also appeared in Major League Wrestling (MLW) between 2017 and 2018, toured with British promotion Progress Wrestling in 2018 and 2019, and made a one-off appearance for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide at the 2018 Verano de Escándalo. This busy independent run sharpened his skills and built the reputation that eventually earned him a national stage.
Darby Allin Career
Early Career (2014–2019)
Allin spent the earliest phase of his career learning the craft on the independent circuit. Working for promotions such as EVOLVE, GCW, PWG, The Wrestling Revolver, and FIP, he developed a reputation for taking extreme bumps and performing unorthodox maneuvers that set him apart from his peers. His appearances in MLW from 2017 to 2018 gave him additional exposure before he departed the promotion in April 2018 due to scheduling conflicts.
His time on the indies also included international bookings, such as a one-off appearance in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide and tours with Progress Wrestling in both the United States and the United Kingdom. By the time AEW came calling in 2019, Allin had built a distinctive identity rooted in skateboard culture, punk aesthetics, and a high-risk in-ring approach.
All Elite Wrestling Breakthrough (2019–2020)
Allin signed with All Elite Wrestling in April 2019 and made his debut at Fyter Fest on June 29, wrestling Cody to a time-limit draw. The match immediately established him as a credible in-ring talent, and he followed it up with a tag team appearance at Fight for the Fallen and a three-way match at All Out. Later that year, he challenged AEW World Champion Chris Jericho on the October 16 episode of Dynamite, although he came up short.
In 2020, Allin participated in the tournament to crown the inaugural AEW TNT Champion, defeating Sammy Guevara in the quarterfinals before losing to Cody in the semifinals. He took part in the first-ever Casino ladder match at Double or Nothing on May 23, which was won by Brian Cage, and he later defeated Ricky Starks on the September 30 episode of Dynamite to end their feud. His biggest career moment arrived on November 7, 2020, at Full Gear, where he defeated Cody to win the TNT Championship, his first title in AEW.
Championship Reigns and Signature Rivalries (2021–2022)
Allin’s first TNT Championship reign lasted 186 days. During that period, he defended the title against several challengers before losing it to Miro on the May 12, 2021 episode of Dynamite. At Double or Nothing on May 30, 2021, he teamed with Sting to defeat Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page, and at Fyter Fest on July 14, he scored a victory over Ethan Page in AEW’s first coffin match.
At All Out on September 5, 2021, Allin was selected as CM Punk’s first opponent in over seven years, although he lost the match. He continued to work both singles and tag matches through 2022, including a tornado tag team win alongside Sting and Sammy Guevara at Revolution on March 6, 2022. He also competed in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, where he was eliminated by Jeff Hardy in a match that featured a widely discussed ladder spot.
Second TNT Title and Major Events (2023–2024)
On January 4, 2023, Allin defeated Samoa Joe in his hometown of Seattle to capture the TNT Championship for a second time. Later that month, he and Sting made a special appearance for Pro Wrestling Noah at The Great Muta Final “Bye-Bye,” teaming with Keiji Muto in his final match under the Great Muta persona and winning a six-man tag. He held the title for four weeks before losing it back to Joe in a no holds barred match on February 1, 2023.
At All In: London on August 27, 2023, Allin reunited with Sting to defeat Swerve Strickland and Christian Cage in a coffin match at Wembley Stadium. On February 7, 2024, he and Sting defeated Ricky Starks and Big Bill to win the AEW World Tag Team Championship, and they retained the titles against the Young Bucks at Revolution on March 3 in what was promoted as Sting’s retirement match. The tag titles were vacated shortly after, ending their reign at 25 days.
2025 Season and Mount Everest
After being written off television due to a legitimate broken foot, Allin resumed his Mount Everest training in late 2023 and early 2024. He postponed his climb following the injury and eventually began his ascent on April 8, 2025. On May 5, he set the world record for the highest elevation kickflip at 20,958 feet while climbing Mount Everest, and on May 18, he reached the summit, where he filmed a short video as the Darby Allin character that was used during his return at All In two months later.
Back in AEW, Allin returned during the main event of All In: Texas on July 12, fending off the Death Riders with Bryan Danielson. He has since competed at major AEW events, including a tag team win at Forbidden Door on August 24, a coffin match loss to Jon Moxley at All Out on September 20, and an I Quit match victory over Moxley at WrestleDream on October 18 with surprise interference from Sting. He was announced as a participant in the 2025 Continental Classic tournament, where he was placed in the Gold League.
Style and Strengths
Allin is known for a high-risk, unorthodox in-ring style that incorporates his skateboarding background. He rides a skateboard during his entrance and occasionally uses it as a prop or weapon in matches, and he frequently performs dives and other extreme maneuvers that contribute to his daredevil image. His signature move is the Coffin Drop, in which he falls backwards from the top rope or another elevated surface onto his opponent without looking. After forming an alliance with Sting, he also adopted the Scorpion Deathdrop and Scorpion Deathlock as signature moves.
Notable Events and Milestones
Allin captured his first AEW title at Full Gear on November 7, 2020, defeating Cody for the TNT Championship, and later won the title a second time in January 2023 in his hometown of Seattle. He wrestled CM Punk’s first match in over seven years at All Out 2021 and headlined Wembley Stadium with Sting at All In: London 2023. In 2025, he reached the summit of Mount Everest and set the world record for the highest elevation kickflip at 20,958 feet during the climb.
Darby Allin Career Wins
Darby Allin has collected several major championships across AEW since signing with the promotion in 2019. His verified accolades include two AEW TNT Championship reigns and one AEW World Tag Team Championship reign with Sting.
TNT Championship Highlights
Allin first won the AEW TNT Championship at Full Gear on November 7, 2020, defeating Cody for the title. He held the championship for 186 days, defending it against multiple challengers before losing it to Miro on the May 12, 2021 episode of Dynamite. He captured the title a second time on January 4, 2023, defeating Samoa Joe in Seattle, and held it for four weeks before dropping it back to Joe in a no holds barred match on February 1, 2023.
Other Wins and Performances
Allin won the AEW World Tag Team Championship with Sting on February 7, 2024, and the pair retained the titles against the Young Bucks at Revolution on March 3, 2024, in Sting’s retirement match. He also won the 2024 Royal Rampage battle royal to earn a future AEW World Championship opportunity. Independent accomplishments prior to AEW are not summarized here because verified records are not available in the source material.
Darby Allin Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Allin was born Samuel Ratsch in Seattle, Washington, and was raised with exposure to athletics through his grandfather, who had played in the National Football League. He has cited that family connection, along with his own participation in track and field and football during his youth, as part of the foundation that pushed him toward physical and performance-based careers. A traumatic incident at age five, in which he survived a car crash caused by his drunk-driving uncle, who died in the accident, has been a defining influence on his life and his wrestling persona, and it is the reason behind his straight edge lifestyle.
Personal Life
Ratsch resides in Atlanta, Georgia. He is a close friend and former tag team partner of wrestling veteran Sting, and in 2024 he began training Sting’s son for a potential wrestling career. He was married to fellow wrestler Priscilla Kelly from 2018 until their divorce in 2020, and Kelly has publicly stated that they remained on good terms after the split.
2025 Season Performance
Darby Allin’s 2025 storyline was shaped largely by his Mount Everest expedition, which he completed in May and which he used to fuel a triumphant return to AEW television. He reappeared at All In: Texas in July alongside Bryan Danielson and immediately inserted himself into the promotion’s main event picture, helping to clear the Death Riders out of the world title match between Jon Moxley and Adam Page.
On the in-ring side, Allin picked up a notable win over Jon Moxley in an I Quit match at WrestleDream on October 18, 2025, following surprise interference from Sting. He was also announced as a participant in the 2025 Continental Classic tournament, where he was placed in the Gold League. Heading into the close of the year, Allin remains one of AEW’s most visible and resilient stars, with momentum built from his summit of Everest and renewed alliance with Sting.
