Darby Allin Details How He Got Cleared For AEW Double Or Nothing Appearance, How Quickly It Happened

Back to Seattle

Allin says he had to try to get cleared, but made the decision to head back to Washington for the Dynamite taping in Everett on May 15. Allin was trying to get cleared as he made the trip back home, and finally got cleared right before the show.

“I said I will do anything to see if I can get cleared. But right then and there, I just start driving back to Seattle because Dynamite was happening that Wednesday. So I do a 12 hour drive to Seattle. [I’m] so tired, trying to get clearance as I’m heading there,” Allin explained. “Literally, I’m in a boot, a walking boot, as I’m driving still. Me taking the walking boot off as soon as I get to the building was the first time I’d taken the boot off since the injury. I put my foot in a shoe for the first time and it was like, ‘Whoa! Alright, let’s see what happens.’ And I literally got clearance right before that Dynamite.”

Allin says he wasn’t sure how being back in the ring was going to feel. He also noted how being cleared doesn’t mean he’s feeling 100% better.

“My foot is still so swollen. My nose still feels like insane,” Allin explained. “For a while, [doctors] told me that my nose was like Jello. If you touch it [in the wrong spot], it will just explode.”

“I felt like it was the perfect time”

Darby Allin said midway through his trip home, he had some doubts and thought about just finishing his road trip. Despite that, he still felt like being at AEW Dynamite that week, and at Double Or Nothing on Sunday, was just the right scenario.

“So as I’m driving this 12 hours from Montana back to Seattle, the whole time I’m thinking, ‘Dude, what are you doing? Just enjoy your time off, finish this road trip with your mom and dad, just enjoy everything.’ I couldn’t, I don’t know. I felt like I needed to be there,” Allin noted. “It’s a scary feeling because Anarchy In The Arena also is no joke. I haven’t even really ever been in one of those matches, mixed with I haven’t even trained. I haven’t been in a ring since I got cleared. So there’s a lot of like factors going into this where it’s so unpredictable what’s going to happen. But I felt like it was the perfect time. Being in Seattle, my home state to return, let’s do it.

“It all came together really, really quick. Because Monday morning, I didn’t even think that showing up on Dynamite Wednesday was a possibility,” he pointed out. “Then as soon as I just started driving and talking to Tony and getting clearance from doctors, it was like, ‘Whoa, this is actually happening. Are you ready for this?’ And I’m like, I don’t know, I don’t know. I still don’t know if I’m ready for this. We’ll find out Sunday.”

Darby noted that he still finished the road trip after making his appearance on AEW Dynamite.

Stay tuned for our full interview with Darby Allin on WrestleZone. AEW Double Or Nothing takes place on Sunday, May 26 in Las Vegas.