The shows he grew up watching often featured larger musclebound stars \u2013 even childhood favorite Kurt Angle, at 220 pounds, was on the smaller side. So Allin leaned on what made him special.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I first wanted to get into wrestling, I thought there was no way someone like me could fit into this world,\u201d Allin said. \u201cBut if you don\u2019t bring the real thing and don\u2019t stay true to yourself, you look so fake and people see right through it. So I decided to say, \u2018Screw it, let\u2019s get it.\u2019 \u2026\u00a0 I would rather fail as Darby than do anything else that wasn\u2019t me.\u201d<\/p>\n
And who is Darby Allin? An impulsive, extreme, punk-rock loving, skateboard-toting risk taker. A guy who, when he had a couple of unexpected weeks off this fall, bought a plane ticket and flew to Iceland. A guy who flipped his ATV making a 40-foot jump in his backyard a couple of weeks ago. Most famously, he took months off from wrestling to climb Mount Everest last year, planting an AEW flag at the summit in May.<\/p>\n
![\"Darby](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/darby-fly.jpeg\")
Darby Allin (top, wrestling Wheeler Yuta) doesn’t like to put too many moves in a match, but makes them all count. (Courtesy All Elite Wrestling)<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of stuff that goes on that\u2019s super-spontaneous and random, but I wouldn\u2019t have it any other way,\u201d Allin said.<\/p>\n
Some companies might scoff at Allin\u2019s risks or outright forbid them, but that\u2019s why he said he loves AEW, for the creative freedom in and out of the ring.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnce that bell rings, it\u2019s pretty much 100% what you want to do as a performer,\u201d Allin said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t imagine having the restrictions they have in other companies. And 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s had classic matches in AEW with everyone from technical wizard Will Ospreay to behemoth Brody King, and he\u2019s done it not through eye-popping action but by creating emotional impact. It\u2019s those kinds of matches from the past that he said he learns from the most.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like to watch wrestling matches that really stand out without a lot of moves, because I\u2019m not a fan of doing 100 big moves a match,\u201d said Allin, who cited Mick Foley as an inspiration in that regard. \u201cIt\u2019s fun to see the emotion and how they carry themselves through a match without relying on big moves or big (false finishes). I just watch how they paced things back then. I\u2019d rather sell and do my thing and have emotions.\u201d<\/p>\n