Darby Allin Reveals Why He Was Hesitant To Get Into The Pro Wrestling Business

Darby Allin is a pillar of AEW and has been with the company nearly since it' inception at the beginning of 2019.
Since the company's debut, Allin has been a fixture of both AEW Dynamite and AEW Collision, held multiple championships, teamed up with Sting, and has been a part of some of the most memorable moments on camera.
It's hard to imagine an AEW without Darby Allin in it, but what if Allin had never become a pro wrestler? It almost happened.
Darby Allin dishes on getting into the pro wrestling business

In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, Allin revealed that he was hesitant to get into the wrestling business. Why? He wanted to be himself and wasn't sure whether or not he'd be able to.
“When I first wanted to get into wrestling, I thought there was no way someone like me could fit into this world. But, if you don’t bring the real thing and don’t stay true to yourself, you look so fake and people see right through it. So I decided to say, ‘Screw it, let’s get it.’ … I would rather fail as Darby than do anything else that wasn’t me.”Darby Allin
Darby Allin has spent the better part of the last year fighting off Jon Moxley and The Death Riders. On this week's Maximum Carnage edition of AEW Dynamite, Allin beat PAC after a vicious match. This gave him victories over every single Death Rider, including Moxley.
Allin is known for his big bumps and stunts in AEW. In the same interview, Allin said he couldn't imagine being restricted from doing that stuff if he worked for a company other than AEW.
“I wouldn’t imagine having the restrictions they have in other companies," Allin said. "No other company is going to let me climb Mount Everest or do crazy stunts with Tony Hawk or Travis Pastrana. I take full advantage of that.”
You read that right. After having a goal to climb Mount Everest for most of his life, Allin got the green light from Tony Khan and AEW. Allin scaled the mountain in 2025 and even cut a promo from the top on Jon Moxley. Allin also took a picture with an AEW flag at the Mount Everest summit.
Allin has also been associated with some of the most violent matches and bumps in AEW history. He's been lit on fire, put through tables, glass, and a variety of other objects. This week on Dynamite, Allin took a nasty belly-to-back suplex on the rigid end of the steel steps.
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Zack Heydorn has been covering the pro wrestling industry for a decade and writes news, features, and interviews for The Takedown On SI. He also hosts and cohosts a variety of WWE and AEW shows on YouTube. Heydorn is a former Assistant Editor of PWTorch and Managing Editor of SEScoops. Zack is also the author of the Hybrid Shoot book Stunning: The Wrestling Artistry of Steve Austin, which is available on Amazon. You can follow Zack on X and Bluesky.
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