“It’s better to burn out than to fade away”-Neil Young
That lyric was originally a part of the 1979 release of “Hey Hey, My My” from Neil and The Crazy Horse band. It resurfaced 15 years later at the conclusion of Nirvana front man, Kurt Cobain’s suicide note. Much like many of the Canadian rock legend’s prose, that phrase has a deep meaning to many, different based on individual perspective. Some see it as pushing the limit to make the biggest impact possible in exchange for rather mundane longevity. Others might view it as a statement about perseverance, the ability to push forward in an effort that make the most of things in a shorter term than for a longer passive existent.
I connect enough with the phrase that I have the lyric tattooed on the inside of my left arm, and seeing Neil Young perform some of his biggest hits in person this past August in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio was a religious experience, even for someone like me who considers religion more of a work than pro wrestling. It’s more profitable, too. The two and a half hour journey to the outside venue that’s located in a state park was a pilgrimage to get a chance to see the 80-year-old rocker in person while I still had the chance and at times, it was surreal to see Neil jam on the guitar with such enthusiasm at his age. Side note, I have to thank long time Pittsburgh pro wrestling veteran, Dean Radford for his help to make sure I made it up the several hills in the picturesque park to the location of the concert.
So, I can undoubtedly appreciate the notion behind the artistic vision of pushing the pace to make an impact on the world. However, there’s a very significant difference between those type of artistic pursuits and business ventures.
Professional wrestling is such a unique genre that it blends athletics and theatrics to became an art from in itself. Bruiser Brody had such an imposing presence and an aura that he could send hundreds of Japanese fans scattering just by stomping in their direction. The Undertaker portrayed his character well enough that fans were willing to overlook that he couldn’t actually be able to produce lightning or return from being buried alive on a few different occasions. The late great Hayabusa soared through the air in a contrasting combination of grace and grittiness in wild death matches as the top star of Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling in the 90s. The epic battles of the four pillars of All Japan, with Kobashi, Misawa, Kawada, and Taue thrilled audiences for its revolutionary high impact style.
That being said, the absolute bottom line is that sports entertainment is a business. The true barometer for success, at least from strictly a business perspective, is revenue and profit. The way to maximize the box office for the promotion, and the earning potential for the performer to make a full-time living in the industry, is the ability to continue to perform on a regular basis. The talent has to be healthy to be able to build up to the big payoff at the crescendo of a storyline. For example, one of the many reason that Cody Rhodes’ two-year journey to the championship fueled an upswing in WWE business at that point was the time invested in the character and the storyline. There were peaks and valleys over the course of time that ultimately set up for the moment of victory. Without that journey, there’s no payoff because there wouldn’t be a narrative established along the way.
That’s why it’s not shocking, but still woefully disappointing that Darby Allin, a kamikaze of a performer, seems to have finally burnt the candles on both ends long enough that it has caught up with him, as he was reportedly injured during a match with Kevin Knight on Dynamite, spending a week in the hospital before he was sent home. According to The Wrestling Observer, the exact extent of his injury is unclear, but there’s a legitimate possibility that he will be eliminated from the Continental Classic tournament.
This doesn’t look to be career-threatening, but it’s sadly an indication of where Darby’s career is going and that it will be over sooner rather than later. I would take no satisfaction if I’m correct in this matter, but there are enough precautionary tales to see where his career is headed unless he changes course. Darby made a career of dangerous and at times, outright foolish bumps. The Dynamite Kid had a more precise approach to the bumps he took during a legendary, but turbulent career, and he ended up in a wheelchair by the time he was 40. Mick Foley took too many wild bumps, but at least he took most of them with a theoretically purpose behind it, which is where Darby is lacking.
When Darby Allin arrived in All Elite Wrestling, he had a mystic about him, which can be used to draw money. There was intrigue in the background and the development of the character. There were even fans in the audience that would dress up like him with their faces half painted, which is a true indication of being over as a valuable commodity. The problem is, Darby’s character never developed to anything beyond that, and his presentation became rather one-dimensional. In fact, the longer that his tenure has continued in AEW, the more that his act become solely about the dangerous risks. His matches and even storylines have become based on the dangerous spot of the segment, not the dramatic narrative of a match-up or an angle.
It’s not a coincidence that you don’t see fans dressed up in the audience like Darby now, a reflection that he’s probably less over today than he was originally in the company, which is underwhelming for someone that was going to be considered one of the “pillars” of the organization.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t meant as a jab against Darby Allin, but rather quite the opposite. Darby has the ingredients to be a top drawing card for AEW, but his philosophy has limited that. More specifically, if Darby or any other performer for that matter is on the injured list, they can’t draw money for the company in the ring. Furthermore, what character development has there been for Darby in the past few years? He took the time to climb Mt. Everest, but how many tickets did that sell for AEW? Sure, some of Darby’s ineffectiveness has to do with the continuous slapstick book in the promotion, but the fact that he’s allowed to do the dangerous stunts as a substitute for a compelling persona, it takes away an opportunity to connection with the audience beyond the “shock value” of the bumps.
That’s the true difference between Cactus Jack and Darby Allin, the fans care about Mick Foley, but aren’t given the opportunity to emotionally invest in the journey of Darby Allin. That emotional investment is how you draw money, because without it, the wrestlers are just interchangeable pieces on the card. There’s a reason that the most over performers are usually the main event of the show. Too often, Darby is just there for the stunt show and after the ridiculous bump, he’s swept away almost immediately to make room for the next portion of the stunt show. The recent Bloods and Guts match when Darby was body slammed off of the entrance way through a flaming table before he was extinguished so the segment could continue is a prime example of this.
At 32, Darby Allin should theoretically be in the prime of his career and thus at the peak of his ability to draw money for the promotion, but this latest injury could eliminate him from the tournament. There’s no doubt that he can go in the ring, and as mentioned, he has a persona that could connect with the crowd, but all of that is moot if he plans to continue to take completely unnecessary chances in the ring. If I had to guess, I don’t think there will be one specific incident that cuts Allin’s career short, but rather the collective wear and tear over the course of time. As we’ve seen from the current injury rate, professional wrestling is dangerous enough, but with the way that Darby quite literally plays with fire, it seems like just a matter of time before he gets burned. Maybe it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things since money is no object for Tony Khan, but it would still be disappointing to see Darby’s career reduced to a stunt show because he brings more than that to the table for the company.
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Until next week
-Jim LaMotta
Email [email protected] | You can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, & Threads @jimlamotta89
