Darby Allin Says He’s Going To Present The TNT Title In A New Light, How He Was Mad To Be Left Off Last Year’s Full Gear Card, Remaining True To Himself

AEW superstar and current TNT champion Darby Allin recently spoke to Sports Illustrated to hype tonight’s “Winter Is Coming” Dynamite special, and discuss all aspects of his pro-wrestling career. Highlights from the interview can be found below.

Says he’s going to present the championship in a new light:

I’m going to create something that is entirely mine, and I’m going to present the championship in a new light. Work doesn’t end for me on Wednesdays. This is a seven-day life for me. It’s a heavy task to make this title mine, but I’m up for it.

How he was pissed that he was left off of last year’s Full Gear card:

I was pissed off. That drove me up a wall. So I worked harder and proved people wrong. Fast forward a year, winning the title from Cody, and it couldn’t have been any more different from a year ago.

How he still can’t believe he’s getting to live his dream:

I still can’t believe it. In the eighth grade, I’m the guy who had no real friends. I was such a loner. During school break I would do these weird challenges with myself, like sitting in a walk-in closet and be in complete isolation. Now, to have all these people be huge fans and supporters, it’s insane. I never thought that was going to happen.

Says he burned a lot of bridges but always stayed true to himself:

I told myself I was going to be a pro wrestler, but I said I was going to do it my way. I burned a lot of bridges sticking to my guns, but I’m being me, 100%. I’m still me. When you watch you get a real product, and you’re going to see s— with me you’ve never seen before.