A top AEW star has recalled being lined up for a move to 205 Live before eventually setting their sights on becoming All Elite.
After joining with AEW in 2019 Darby Allin has risen to become one of the biggest and most recognisable stars in the company. The star’s death-defying in-ring style made him an instant hit with fans and he continues to be cheered to the rafters every time he enters the arena.
However, before putting pen to paper on a deal with AEW, the star almost found himself in rival promotion WWE. From 2016 until 2019 Allin appeared for Evolve as well as Progress Wrestling. Interestingly, WWE were known to have a working relationship with Evolve while they also enjoy ties with Progress.
During this period of his career Allin was being lined up for a move to WWE and 205 Live which served as the company’s cruiserweight brand. However, speaking during an appearance DDP Snake Pit with Diamond Dallas Page and Jake Roberts, he explained that he had no intention of heading to the sports entertainment giant.
Allin said that the move would have seen him typecast as a cruiserweight, which isn’t his style. He pointed to matches that he had in Mexico as one of the sources of his trepidation.
“Well that’s the thing, because at the time, I was kind of being groomed to go to NXT and I saw the writing on the wall. And this is back when 205 Live was a thing, and I was like hell f*cking no, I’m not going there to do that. Like, I don’t want to be put in a box. Like my money is wrestling like David vs. Goliath matches.
I’m not like [a cruiserweight wrestler], I wrestled in Mexico a few times. And then I felt like everything that made me special was lost when I was in Mexico, because the art of selling goes out the window. I remember [thinking] this isn’t like [what I wanted], and then all I can think about is I was like, there’s no way.
So I was like I wanted AEW, and then I can sink or swim on my own merit. Like, you know, I have the opportunity to get over as myself, you know, and then fail as myself. So that’s why I was just constantly calling calling calling calling [Cody] and then we have the meeting.”
During the conversation, Allin also revealed that he took out a loan worth $12,000 prior to joining AEW to buy himself out a contract with another company to enable him to join Tony Khan’s promotion.
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