AEW star Darby Allin discussed various topics with Forbes, including what he learned from working alongside pro wrestling legend Sting in the company.
Allin said, “Yeah, how to carry yourself out of the ring. We’re talking about a guy who’s done everything there is to do in the industry, and when you talk to him, he’s the most humble, chill guy. He doesn’t big-league anybody, and that’s kind of what I realized later on because there’s so many egos where it’s like, ‘Oh, I can’t show any weakness.’ He’s so chill and so happy all the time. That’s what I hold on to most now that his career ended—how he conducts himself when the 15-minute ride is over. That’s what kind of inspired me the most.”
On how AEW has grown since its launch in 2019:
“I think the bar got set way higher now because you have to remember, it’s year one on TV. We were throwing a lot of stuff at the wall, seeing what stuck because we’re brand new, and a lot of guys like myself never had any TV experience. So we got to see what worked. But now the talent is so high, and everybody needs to step up. You aren’t going to be on TV unless you’re literally the best of the best. So, I feel it just shows everybody that no one can coast, no one can just chill, and that’s the beauty of it. Because I never wanted to be in a company that felt like me and all my friends have a TV company. I don’t care if I don’t know you. I don’t care if I don’t like you. As long as you care about AEW and you want to produce some of the best, then I want you on my team. I’m not going to say a lot of people—it felt like maybe some people were taking it for granted. Year one, they were treating it like spring break, like, “Oh, this is so fun. I got a job for life. I’m just hanging out with my boys.” They weren’t going there with a mission. But I’m like, “I have to show the wrestling world what AEW is capable of,” because this changed the whole landscape. When I first got in, I never thought it was possible to have another game in town like this. I thought at the time, “This kind of sucks,’ and then AEW started, and I thought, “I’ll do anything to be part of that company. Anything,’ and that’s where I knew I needed to finish. So, I saw the importance of AEW from the beginning, but I don’t think a lot of people did.”
