Former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas has criticized Darby Allin’s continued use of high-risk stunts in AEW, arguing that the wrestler’s increasingly extreme performances have desensitized audiences and diminished the impact of his most dangerous moments.
During the November 4, 2026 edition of AEW Dynamite: Blood & Guts, Allin was thrown off the steel cage by Wardlow in one of the closing moments of the broadcast. The spot added to Allin’s history of taking significant risks inside and outside the ring, but Korderas believes the frequency of such moments has become a problem.
Speaking in a video posted to Twitter/X, Korderas questioned the audience’s reaction to the stunt and suggested that Allin’s reliance on spectacular bumps has made them feel increasingly routine.
“Let me talk about the fan reaction to this ‘incredible stunt,’ if you want to call it that. I don’t know what you call it anymore, but the fact is Darby Allin has committed so many of these crazy stunts that he has completely desensitized his audience to what he does now. He doesn’t get the holy sh*t reaction anymore.
He gets the, oh, he went through another table. That’s exactly what happened. The crowd just doesn’t care anymore because they expect it from him. And when you expect something like that, then it doesn’t mean anything. It’s like anything else you do.”
Korderas continued by comparing Allin’s approach to the overuse of certain wrestling moves, arguing that repeated exposure eventually reduces their effectiveness. He also broadened his criticism to AEW’s original roster members, suggesting that some have failed to evolve their characters since the promotion launched.
“When you do the piledriver too many times, When you go through tables too many times, when you do anything like that too many times, people don’t care anymore because they’ve seen it too often and they’ve seen it too much from Darby Allin. He needs to change it up. That’s the problem with a lot of wrestlers in AEW since day one. The guys that have been there since day one, the OG AEW guys, nothing has changed from their original presentation from day one to 7 years later. They have not evolved one bit, and that is hurting them immensely.
And that could be one of the reasons why they are hurting in live attendance, except for pay-per-views, of course. But as far as Darby Allin goes, that is why I believe this is hurting him.”
Korderas’ comments reflect his belief that Allin’s willingness to perform increasingly dangerous spots has become less effective at generating the reactions those moments are intended to produce.
Allin has built much of his AEW identity around his fearless in-ring style and willingness to take extraordinary risks, making him one of the promotion’s most recognizable performers. However, Korderas believes that evolving his presentation could help restore the impact of those moments.
While Korderas also suggested that a lack of character development among some longtime AEW performers could be contributing to the company’s live attendance challenges, those remarks represent his personal assessment rather than an established explanation for attendance trends.
In today’s #ReffinRant what was gained from another Darby death defying stunt? Answer is, nothing! 🤔 #StaySafe ☕️ https://t.co/QFqAXHMetU
— Jimmy Korderas (@jimmykorderas) November 6, 2026
