Darby Allin Reflects On Joining AEW, Says WWE 205 Live Was ‘The Writing On The Wall’

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Darby Allin successfully climbing Mount Everest is right on brand with his wrestling and real-life character. He embodies the independent spirit, which is why it is no surprise he gravitated more toward AEW than WWE when he was a free agent. 

The daredevil wrestler was a guest on “The Ariel Helwani Show” and discussed his insatiable desire to be a part of AEW when it first launched. 

“The moment I heard that AEW was starting, the moment I heard the term ‘creative freedom,’ and there was this new company starting, I was like, that’s my shot, that’s the only way that I’m going to make it, I don’t even care about anything else at this point, I was like, I need to be there. And then I literally didn’t stop until I got there.”

The conversation then shifted to whether or not Allin entertained the idea of going to WWE in the pre-AEW days. He noted the direction that WWE was going in with the smaller guys on the roster at the time, which was to put them all on the newly launched “205 Live.” From there, Allin knew his future was not with WWE. 

“I was part of their sister company called Evolve, I was part of that. And then I saw the writing on the wall. “205 Live,” I saw the writing on the wall. Where my money is is in the David vs Goliath matches. Then, as soon as I heard AEW was starting, I was like, nope, I gotta go.”

During the interview, Allin raved about the backstage culture in AEW right now, notably saying that a cancer had been cut out of the AEW locker room. He immediately made sure the audience knew that he was not referring to CM Punk, which left many wondering who that comment was aimed toward. 

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “The Ariel Helwani Show” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription

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