Darby Allin Reveals Last-Minute Dash Ahead Of Shock AEW Return
Darby Allin has revealed just how his shock AEW return came about as he gets ready to get wild in Anarchy In The Arena at Double Or Nothing.
Darby Allin surprised everyone when he returned to AEW in his home state of Washington as he was revealed as Eddie Kingston’s replacement for Anarchy In The Arena at Double Or Nothing.
Allin will team with FTR and Bryan Danielson as part of Team AEW as they look to end the reign of terror of The Elite in the company. But after suffering a foot injury that ended his hopes of climbing Mount Everest as well as a broken nose after getting hit by a bus, many were surprised to see Darby Allin ready to get back in the ring so soon.
Speaking with WrestleZone, Darby Allin revealed that it was he who approached Tony Khan about being part of Anarchy In The Arena after hearing about Eddie Kingston’s injury while on vacation with his parents:
Well, I was on a cross-country road trip with my mom and dad. We started in Seattle and we’re driving across the country because I actually had my dad retire with the money that I can make from AEW. So, we’re gonna do a cross-country road trip, I’m moving down to Georgia and we’re in Montana, which is like 12 hours away from Seattle.
Then I find out that Eddie Kingston can’t wrestle at Anarchy in the Arena because he had the injury in New Japan. And then instantly I pull over and I was like, I gotta reach out to Tony Khan and just see if there’s the possibility of me being in this match.
I said I will do anything to see if I can get cleared. Right then and there I started driving back to Seattle because Dynamite was happening in Seattle that Wednesday. So I do a 12-hour drive to Seattle, [I am] so tired, trying to get clearance as I’m heading there. And literally, I’m in a boot, a walking boot, as I’m driving still. And me taking the walking boot off as soon as I get to the building, was the first time I’d taken the boot off since the injury.
I put my foot in the shoe for the first time and it was like whoa, like, alright, let’s see what happens. I literally got clearance right before that Dynamite. I don’t know how everything was gonna feel because I’m not like 100%, just because I’m cleared doesn’t mean I feel great. My foot is still swollen, my nose still feels insane.
For a while, they told me that my nose was like jello. If you touch it, if you touch it weird, it will just explode. So as I’m driving 12 hours from Montana back to Seattle the whole time, I’m thinking dude what are you doing? Why? Just enjoy your time off, finish this road trip with your mom and dad, like, just enjoy everything. And I couldn’t, I felt like I needed to be there. It’s a scary feeling because Anarchy in the Arena also is no joke and I haven’t even really ever been in one of those matches mixed with I haven’t even trained.
Darby Allin Still Unsure If He’s Ready For AEW Return
Darby Allin revealed that he’s not been back in a ring since getting medically cleared and admits he has no idea if he’s actually ready to return:
I haven’t been in a ring since I got cleared. So it’s like, there’s a lot of like factors going into this where it’s so unpredictable, what’s going to happen. But I felt like it was the perfect time, being in Seattle, my home state to return, let’s do it. And it all came together really, really quick. Because, Monday morning, I didn’t even think that showing up on Dynamite Wednesday was a possibility.
And then as soon as like I just started driving and talking to Tony and getting clearance from doctors. It was like, ‘Whoa, this is actually happening, are you ready for this?’ And I’m like, I don’t know. I still don’t know if I’m ready for this. We’ll find out.
Darby Allin had been banned from the building for Dynamite in Bakersfield by The Young Bucks. However, Allin had the last laugh when Tony Khan himself drove Allin to the arena before the former TNT Champion chased The Elite off with an actual flamethrower.