AEW star admits he 'almost broke' his neck during recent airing of 'Dynamite'
Darby Allin almost broke his neck at AEW's "Homecoming." He was part of a tornado tag team match with Sting, facing Powerhouse Hobbs and Konosuke Takeshita during the Jan. 10 episode. Midway through the show, Allin was flung across the ring by both of his opponents, crashing into the bottom rope head-first.
Allin has since revealed that he almost broke his neck during that spot during a recent appearance on KSDK.
"The thing with AEW is, you can expect the unexpected," Allin said, h/t to Fightful for the transcription. "I mean that, I'm not just trying to sell anything. Every week, there is crazy shenanigans going on. Last week, I almost broke my neck. This week, we have so much crazy stuff. Literally, it's something different every week. We don't play it safe. I was in town, I saw this arch, and I kind of want to jump off of it."
Part of that risk-taking is what makes AEW so enthralling. It's why they have rapidly scaled their fanbase and been able to attract some of the biggest names in the industry. It's not for everyone, though. Some of the biggest detractors for AEW often point to the unnecessary risks and lengthy injuries the company's stars deal with.
That's the whole point. AEW is supposed to be the alternative option. The style of wrestling on offer is high-impact. There's blood, crazy dives and some seriously risky moves at times. The talent wants to put on the best performance possible, even if that means flirting with crossing the line.
As such, Allin likely doesn't worry about the injuries that nearly happened. It's the ones that have happened, or could in the future that will keep him on his toes. Nevertheless, AEW is at its best when the top stars are available. They're already without Kenny Omega and MJF (who still hasn't had his contract status confirmed.) Losing Allin so close to Revolution, where Sting will participate in his final match, would have been catastrophic from a business standpoint.
AEW isn't going to change, though. They know who they are as a wrestling company. They know what they bring to the table. It's why they're so popular. Why change a winning formula?
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