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Darby Allin on Blood & Guts: ‘I’ve Got A Lot of Stuff Planned’

Allin also reflected on Sting’s last match, where he jumped off a ladder to deliver a swanton bomb–onto steel chairs covered with glass

Justin Barrasso

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Darby Allin: “Going through the glass, that was pretty chill”

Darby Allin made a promise to Sting.

In a realm ripe with unfulfilled hype and over-exaggerated claims, Allin vowed that Sting’s final match would be unforgettable.

And he fulfilled that promise.

The match took place in March at the AEW Revolution pay-per-view, with Allin and Sting wrestling The Young Bucks’ Matt and Nick Jackson. Allin transformed an entertaining bout into an incredibly tense affair when he climbed to the top of a ladder inside the ring, then took to the air to deliver an outrageous swanton bomb through a glass-covered set of steel chairs.

“I wanted Sting’s last match to go out with a bang,” said Allin. “At the end of the night, he was like, ‘That’s one of the top three matches of my career.’ That was the goal. You can’t watch that match and not be enthralled by the whole thing. It’s a last match we’ll always remember.”

Allin’s list of injuries from the past three months, especially a broken foot and busted nose, is painful to even imagine. Yet he claims that the jump off the ladder–and ensuing fall–wasn’t all that difficult.

“Going through the glass, that was pretty chill,” said Allin. “Then the referee was like, ‘Are you OK?’ I had like a huge hole in my side. It sliced me open pretty good, and they had to tape me up. The stitches and staples held me together, which sucked, but otherwise, it didn’t hurt.”

Darby Allin delivers his swanton bomb at Revolution
Darby Allin delivers his swanton bomb at Revolution / AEW

As for the swanton jump, Allin noted he never felt fear–because he refused to take the time necessary for it to sink in.

“When you think about it, that’s when you get hurt,” said Allin. “You need to get up there and go. I was just going with the flow.”

Darby Allin smashes through the glass
Darby Allin smashes through the glass / AEW
Allin atop the shattered glass
Allin atop the shattered glass / AEW

Allin was asked why he was so adamant to use real glass, especially when alternatives–like sugar glass–would have been safer.

“I didn’t want to use sugar glass,” said Allin. “If that breaks too early, or breaks in your hands, it’s embarrassing. I wanted real glass. It was all or nothing for Sting.”

Darby Allin
Despite its danger, the decision was made to use real glass / AEW

That decision came with consequences. Allin revealed he was pulling glass out of his body for weeks. Even when he underwent surgery for his foot later that month, the medical staff continued to discover random pieces of glass attached to his body.

“It’s been such a wild ride,” said Allin, marveling at the thought of it all. “I broke my foot [during a match on Dynamite in March], I got hit by a bus, I broke my nose, and then got super kicked in the nose. That caused my nose to open up like a faucet. There were thumbtacks superglued in my lip. Trying to explain that to my doctor was hilarious.”

Despite–or perhaps enhanced by–the inherent danger that is involved every single time Allin enters the ring, he is an extremely compelling performer. His next objective is to make magic tonight in the Blood & Guts match, where he teams with Swerve Strickland, The Acclaimed’s Anthony Bowens and Max Caster, and Mark Briscoe against Hangman Page, Kazuchika Okada, the Bucks and Jack Perry.

“I’ve got a lot of stuff planned,” said Allin. “I’ve never even been in a cage match before. Never. It’s a fun challenge. And you know me, I love a challenge.

“This is really important to me. I want to be the face of this company. I want to be the spokesperson for this place. Look what AEW has allowed me to do inside the ring, and the freedom I get outside the ring. That’s why I’ve been able to be authentic and real to myself.”

The Blood & Guts match also allows an opportunity to inflict pain on Jack Perry, who is the focus of Allin’s attention.

“It’s pretty cool to see what Jack is doing now,” said Allin, carefully choosing his words. “Everyone always says a pro wrestler is at their best when they’re themselves turned up to ten. In real life, he’s an idiot. He’s entitled. So he’s getting to be his real self. I feel like he’s been rewarded for bad behavior. I don’t care for him.”

Darby Allin has been cleared to wrestle in Blood & Guts
Darby Allin has been cleared to wrestle in Blood & Guts / AEW

If Allin can stay healthy, there is no obstacle he cannot overcome–or hurl himself off. He has developed a very genuine connection with wrestling fans, and the Blood & Guts match provides an opportunity to redefine himself as a major factor in AEW.

“I’m going to remind people what this company is all about and how amazing it is,” said Allin. “It’s time to stop and smell the roses.”

The (Online) Week in Wrestling

  • Stop me if you’ve read this before–The Bloodline beat down Cody Rhodes last week on SmackDown. While I don’t see Solo Sikoa defeating Rhodes at SummerSlam, the attacks are necessary to build the threat, especially without the advantage of having Paul Heyman on television each week to highlight their fear factor.
  • CM Punk will be cleared to wrestle by SummerSlam, where he is scheduled to meet Drew McIntyre–with special guest referee (and there is a long history of that at SummerSlam) Seth Rollins.
  • LA Knight’s path to success in WWE is wildly different from the road Logan Paul has taken. The two are complete opposites, and hopefully this ends with Knight getting the win–and the title.
  • Dean Malenko narrating a Blood & Guts video? I’m all for it.
  • If it’s “buck hunting” season for FTR, does that mean we’re getting the next installment of Young Bucks-FTR at All In?
  • Hologram debuted last Saturday on Collision. There is plenty of potential here, but the character will need to show off his personality in order for this to have longevity.

Rhea Ripley and Dom Mysterio headed for a breakup

Rhea Ripley and Dom Mysterio are headed for a break.

At least it felt that way on Raw. Ripley and Mysterio stood united against Liv Morgan, who is defending her world title against Ripley at SummerSlam. But for me, it was all about the reaction from the crowd.

Dom Mysterio and Rhea Ripley
Dom Mysterio and Rhea Ripley / WWE

There are few wrestlers in the world more popular than Ripley. The reaction from live crowds since her return has been magnificent. Ripley is the complete package, with her work in the ring even better than her strong skills on the microphone. When she headlined Elimination Chamber in Perth this past February, it was telling that Mysterio did not accompany her to the ring. Mysterio is a magnet for boos, and the company knows that Ripley’s future is as a babyface.

So Ripley has outgrown Mysterio. And, in a peculiar way, Mysterio has outgrown Ripley. Both needed each other, and now they must go their own separate directions–Mysterio as an obnoxious heel alongside Morgan, and Ripley as the face of the brand.

It certainly feels like a turn is coming.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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