In a recent interview, AEW wrestler Darby Allin discussed his ambivalence toward winning the AEW World Championship, his mental approach to managing pain from high-risk maneuvers, and his 2025 Mount Everest ascent. Allin reflected on life-threatening spots in matches and a past brain injury that nearly derailed his career. He emphasized prioritizing compelling storylines over titles and proving personal limits beyond wrestling.
Darby Allin, a key figure in All Elite Wrestling since its 2019 inception, opened up in an interview with Chris Van Vliet about his career and personal challenges. Allin has been involved in numerous high-risk moments, including falling through a ceiling, crashing into a brick building, being set on fire, and plummeting through glass. He partnered with Sting upon the veteran's 2020 arrival, winning AEW World Tag Team Championships, and faced CM Punk in Punk's 2021 return match. As a former AEW World Tag Team Champion and multiple-time TNT Champion, Allin has challenged for the AEW World Championship without victory.
Regarding championship aspirations, Allin stated, “I don’t know. It’s a weird question. It’s something I talked to Sting about. I never really cared about championships. I care more about just good storylines. To me, that’s where I feel like my head is on that thing. Would it be cool to be the face of a company? Yes, absolutely, considering I do feel like I best represent what AEW can give.” Currently, Allin is feuding with Gabe Kidd, following conflicts with Jon Moxley and The Death Riders in late 2025.
Allin described coping with physical tolls through mental resilience, without detailing medications. He recalled a 2018 incident before an EVOLVE match against GUNTHER (f.k.a. WALTER), where a morning bout caused a brain bleed from hitting concrete. Symptoms included muffled hearing and swelling sensations; hospital intervention prevented potential death in the scheduled evening match. Their June 2018 EVOLVE 106 encounter, which Allin won, remains his favorite indie bout, praising opponents like GUNTHER and Brody King for authentic intensity.
In 2025, Allin summited Mount Everest, one of about 7,000 climbers, hiking 10-12 days to 17,000-foot base camp with his mother and brother. Alone for the final push, he confronted mortality, vowing in a vlog, “there’s no way I’m gonna die on this mountain.” The climb aimed to affirm self-capability amid wrestling's relentless schedule and egos: “I wanted to really find out who I was going to be on the other side of Everest.” He cut a promo from the summit.
Allin addressed risky spots, like the 2022 ladder dive through glass with Sting, where Tony Khan noted it “could have been really bad.” Despite sliced insides, Allin continued, wrapped in duct tape, feeling initial adrenaline over pain and extracting glass weeks later. On Claudio Castagnoli launching him toward the announce desk multiple times, including at November 2025's Blood & Guts, Allin said, “Whatever happens, happens. Let’s just go, wing it.” He rejected comparisons to Spike Dudley, asserting, “I’m way more of a wrestler’s wrestler,” highlighting technical skills honed in home training.
