Darby Allin successfully climbing Mount Everest is correct on brand along with his wrestling and real-life character. He embodies the independent spirit, which is why it is not any 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 an element 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 recent company starting, I used to be like, that is my shot, that is the only way that I will make it, I do not even care about anything at this point, I used to be like, I have to be there. After which I literally didn’t stop until I got there.”
The conversation then shifted as to if or not Allin entertained the concept of going to WWE within the pre-AEW days. He noted the direction that WWE was getting into with the smaller guys on the roster on the time, which was to place all of them on the newly launched “205 Live.” From there, Allin knew his future was not with WWE.
“I used to be a part of their sister company called Evolve, I used to be a part of that. After which I saw the writing on the wall. “205 Live,” I saw the writing on the wall. Where my money is is within the David vs Goliath matches. Then, as soon as I heard AEW was starting, I used to be like, nope, I gotta go.”
Throughout the interview, Allin raved in regards to the backstage culture in AEW right away, 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.
For those who use any quotes from this text, please credit “The Ariel Helwani Show” and supply a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for transcription