On AEW Dynamite, it was the first time we saw All Elite Wrestling since the shocking actions of Jon Moxley and the former Blackpool Combat Club after their complete destruction of Bryan Danielson.
Where is Darby Allin?
Darby was there at WrestleDream 2024. He tried to save Danielson. Wheeler Yuta hit him with the Busaiku Knee. He was duct taped to the rope. He was forced to watch in-ring as Wheeler Yuta put a plastic bag over Bryan Danielson’s head and suffocated him right in front of Darby. For all he might know? Danielson is dead when it comes to AEW. That might be the last time we ever see him.
The final shot of WrestleDream 2024 was AEW Originals like Hook, Daniel Garcia, Orange Cassidy, and of course Darby Allin looking out at the violence inflicted by Jon Moxley and wondering what would be the future of All Elite Wrestling.
You would think AEW Dynamite would begin with someone like Darby Allin coming out, recapping what we saw on the pay per view, maybe for people who didn’t buy the pay per view, and let everyone know how he felt about what had happened. Instead, Darby Allin wasn’t on the show.
Where is Darby Allin?
He did appear once. They pushed a video clip of Darby Allin skateboarding with a smile on his face talking about a photo with him and Tony Hawk you can buy on Shop AEW. It’s the first thing you see when you go to the website right now. Proceeds go to The Skatepark Project which is nice. It isn’t what we wanted.
What we got was Adam Cole opening the show as if nothing had ever happened (even though he did come down to the ring at some point after the carnage, so he also saw up close what the BCC did to Danielson) to challenge Maxwell Jacob Friedman. We got FTR in a tag match which finished with The Outrunners coming out to do their Predator handshake as The FTRunners. I love The Outrunners but they were early victims of Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir. Shouldn’t they care what happened?
It wasn’t until the Blackpool Combat Club started beating people up again that anyone really started caring. With no Darby Allin around they targeted Orange Cassidy. Top Flight tried to run out to make a save. The Dark Order ran out to try to stop them. The Elite did nothing.
It’s interesting that The Elite were neither targeted or got involved with the Blackpool Combat Club. You would think out of anyone that Jon Moxley wants to take out it would be The Elite. He’s hated them since day one. Thorn in his side since day one. Cost him his first AEW Men’s World Championship, prevented him from winning it back. There’s so much history between the two sides. They walked right by each other like ships into the night. We knew they would too.
The BCC continued to beat up low card guys like The Dark Order and Top Flight before driving off into the night. It led to a passionate promo by Evil Uno and Dante Martin. But these are just victims. This isn’t the man who has lost everything from Jon Moxley.
Where is Darby Allin?
Darby didn’t just watch Bryan Danielson get beaten and suffocated in front of him. He got to watch it happen with the title shot he earned and put up against Jon Moxley at Grand Slam. If he didn’t do that? Moxley has no road to the title. Moxley only beat one man for that title shot: Darby Allin. Allin made this all happen. It was his actions, his insistence on fighting everything that challenges him that led to AEW now in its chaotic state until a despotic ruler. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, and Darby Allin now has to skateboard across it knowing he made this happen.
When I asked the other day Who Stops Jon Moxley? I did it with an obvious answer in mind. I said Orange Cassidy and Wheeler Yuta might be able to do it, but Darby Allin has to do it. I’ve seen people suggest the likes of Eddie Kingston or Kenny Omega doing it. No. It has to be Darby Allin. This storyline is not really about AEW. It’s about Darby Allin. It’s about Jon Moxley becoming the mountain Darby Allin has to climb to finally be the franchise he was meant to be.
So where is Darby Allin?
It frustrated me on Wednesday night to see him gone. I don’t know if that was intentional or not. Darby wasn’t too injured or banged up to show up. But I would not be surprised if on Wednesday night someone calls Darby Allin out for not being there. You see, Darby Allin will forever be connected to a man in face paint. The man who he won the AEW World Tag Team Championship with. The man who saved him at All In 2024, and saved him many times before. His friend, mentor, and protector: Sting.
When WCW was in its own invasion against the New World Order, a major part of the story was that Sting, the guy who was loyal to WCW more than anyone else, had turned on Lex Luger at War Games. The real Sting came out and exposed the impostor, but Lex Luger still had his doubts. His best friend doubted him. WCW doubted him.
Sting cut one of the best promos of the time where he refused to talk to the hard cam. He talked to the audience instead. He talked about them, “Doubting The Stinger” and how no matter what he did for WCW? People still doubted him.
“I’ve carried the WCW banner. I’ve been in my blood, my sweat, and my tears for WCW! So for all of those fans out there and all those wrestlers and people who never doubted the Stinger? I’ll stand by you if you stand by me. But for all of the people, all of the commentators, all of the wrestlers, and all of the best friends who did doubt me? You can stick it.”
That was the beginning of what we call “Crow Sting” the image of Sting we see to this day. It wasn’t just the New World Order. It was the doubt created from people who didn’t believe in him when he never gave them a reason not to. They let a simple parlour trick of someone dressing like him completely unravel what they thought he was as a person.
So where is Darby Allin?
We don’t know. Yet. But I wonder if they are creating seeds of doubts. Ways for people to question just how much Darby Allin wants this. Will he give up? Will he let the BCC get to him? Moxley made this about Darby from the beginning. Maybe he will join Moxley? Why he isn’t there to hold the banner for All Elite Wrestling? Will others step up in his place only to be beaten down by the unstoppable force of Jon Moxley and his Crusade?
It’s important for people (including myself) to let things be told right now before jumping to unwavering conclusions. If everyone in the company stood up to the BCC immediately we wouldn’t have a storyline. Moxley and the BCC are heels but they are not wrong that a lot in AEW just care about their egos being massaged and not trying to be the best in pro wrestling. This needs to shock the system. Every week things are going to happen that won’t entirely make sense until the whole picture is revealed.
I didn’t enjoy Dynamite as much as others did, but a part of my lack of enjoyment was how status quo it was. Things don’t really matter to people yet. This is just the beginning. Eventually, this is going to matter to the point where you can’t escape it. And when it does, asking where Darby Allin is won’t be a question of wrestling storytelling but a cry from those who need saving from the brutal regime of Jon Moxley.
“Against an Army of Shadows Lies a Dark Warrior. The Prevailer of Goods. With a Voice of Silence and a Mission of Justice…”
Once that doubt is created? That’s when Darby can finally begin his climb. That’s when this story can truly begin. It’s not just about who can beat Jon Moxley. It’s about who can lead All Elite Wrestling. People have been doubting Darby Allin since he came to the company. Doubting who he could beat. Doubting what he could do. He has risen above every doubt except one.
Can Darby Allin truly be the face of AEW as the Men’s World Champion?
It’s time to doubt. That’s when Darby Allin is at his very best.