Darby Allin

"[10.0] a one-of-a-kind wrestler who uses a variety of moves and takes huge risks to entertain us. Every week, he defends the titles he wins"

[9.0] "A wrestler unlike anyone else. Can produce matches with completely unique style and feel. Even ignoring the quirkiness, he's technically a very good wrestler. I'm not super into his character work, but he found a role that works for him."

[8.0] "More crash test dummy than actual wrestler. Slightly conflicted about him, shouldn't really like a 12 stone jabroni who dresses like a teenage emo girl. On the other hand, it's near impossible not to appreciate his kamikaze dedication on some level. Only guy approaching his recklessness is maybe Jeff Hardy. He's definitely got a bit of ECW Spike's indestructible, undersized underdog too. Not really sustainable, he's bound to severely mangle himself at some point, tough little bastard that he is."

[10.0] "Darby's gonna be in a full-body- cast in a decade but it's gonna be one hell of a ride getting there."

[10.0] "People discredit his mic work for being "Trying too hard" or being "Edgelord-y, " but I find it to be engaging, impactful, & emotionally-fueled. He deftly, profoundly carved a niche out for himself by proving that he's willing to go to self-sacrificial lengths that few others are willing to go. People try to discredit him by saying "Oh, he's just a human crash test dummy, " which, for one, what's wrong with being a human crash test dummy, in a wrestling context, anyway? And for two, that argument is coming from a place of "Darby can't wrestle actually, " which is so, so not true. His works with Konosuke Takeshita, with Claudio Castagnoli, Samoa Joe, MJF, this guy has proven repeatedly that he can work his way through such a wide variety of styles & can get something good going with even the most lacking of workers. His world championship reign this year epitomized what a reign should be; the champion is actively on TV every single week, pumping out great matches with great workers. Don't even try to explain that one as a fundamentally face thing to do; it's literally the fundamental job of a professional wrestling champion, & Darby did it so impressively. What, you don't want your champions to be impressive & successful? He was one of, if not the first person to cross-promote the world of skateboarding into the world of wrestling. He's held a great deal of gold throughout his tenure in AEW & the reigns were all great fun. His theme song slaps & his overall presentation couldn't be much better & uniquely his. If I had to watch only 2 wrestlers fight for the rest of my days, Darby would be one of the two."

"Darby Allin performs as though self-preservation were an accusation he intends to disprove. His body enters every scene already carrying the evidence of previous scenes, which gives his matches a continuity beyond the immediate contest. The audience does not merely anticipate whether he will fall. It anticipates how recklessly he will choose the place from which to fall. This can create extraordinary tension because vulnerability is never theoretical. The danger is visibly attached to the performer. Yet danger alone is not drama. His strongest work recognizes this and makes the recklessness an expression of character: stubbornness, desperation, anger, or the refusal to be controlled. His weaker work treats physical damage as automatic meaning and assumes that a more alarming collision must also be a more important one. It need not be. Restraint would sometimes sharpen the tragedy. Nevertheless, Darby possesses a quality few can manufacture--the audience watches his decisions with genuine apprehension. Each leap asks the same question: is this courage, compulsion, or the inability to recognize a difference?"

[8.0] "Designed to be a fan favorite. His gimmick, his wrestling style, his reliability and likeableness. How can you dislike the guy"

[10.0] "Darby Allin is without a doubt my favorite wrestler in the current landscape. He is reckless, genuine, and intense in the ring in a way that nobody else even comes close to touching. His incredible world title run this year was only proof of that, and while short, it delivered amazing moments. Allin also definitely has a good amount of career left to continue to push the ceiling even further for kids like us who feel outcast. Allin's representation of straight edge and mental health awareness is incredible as well, he carries such an important message through his wrestling."

[10.0] "Crazy SOB, someone who makes you believe in the sport with pure, unfiltered authenticity. He lives as though he is suicide incarnate, yet he remains eternally unkillable throughout his career. One of the most daring athletes in a long time, Darby is special and a 1:1 kind of performer. Wholly unique, always interesting, he is a reason to tune in. Special kind of a guy."

[9.0] "After his recent AEW title reign, I've become a huge Darby Allin fan. You could really make the argument that he's the most dedicated worker in all of AEW from the amount of bumps he's willing to put himself through to make a match worthwhile. It's like he was genetically designed too to be flung like a basketball by literally anyone who can bench press his body weight which not only makes for some killer spots, but also makes for some fun as hell matches like his match with Will Ospreay on that episode of Dynamite back in 2024 or his recent title defense with PAC. The best human ragdoll and I can't wait for his return just so I can see him go through a dozen flaming stacked up on top of each other."

[10.0] "The indestructible skeleton boy has survived every bump and hurdle the industry and life could've possibly thrown at him. At one point in time my rating was probably a 7 or so--a fire act that I think struggled to find a main event spot mostly due to his mic issues. Ever since the pairing of him with Sting, and that whole journey, that has completely evaporated, and his AEW title run was short but an all-time great in the industry. I think he's officially one of the greats and anyone that thinks otherwise can go climb Everest."

[8.0] "Darby has all tools to become what Jeff Hardy and Mick Foley never became, and that's A+ player in wrestling business, although I can't help but wonder if his opportunity for gaining such status is still present. He doesn't have issues that held back Jeff and he is in an era where size or physique obstacles that kept Mick from being on Austin or Rock's level don't matter as much. My main issue with Darby is that he does way too much. He keeps moving his own standards, he has great pure wrestling abilities, yet he still accepts (and probably demands) to be thrown around so much and to jump off the fucking stages or giant ladders or whatever. He is like Sabu in late 90s, he has done so much shit already if he did only headlocks until the end of his career nobody would say a word because Darby doesn't owe us all that. He is already supposed to be THE star, ex-world champion. He got over. He can let some other crazy dumb fella follow his footsteps and try to destroy their own body and health for amusement of internet marks. He has a great collection of pure wrestling matches, and hours worth of youtube hardcore moments compilations. He's got some kind of weird charisma that Jim Cornette talks about a lot, which is a rare quality in modern business."

[1.0] "I don't see the hype with him. Like I get it you take crazy bumps and talk about how much you love AEW but don't have that be your main character trait it's not really good in my opinion. There are a few matches I do like his 2021 full gear match against MJF where he wasn't wrestling like ecw wrestler."

[7.0] "The only reason why I wouldn't rank him any higher, is because of his reckless attitude which is paradoxical. The art of wrestling entails that you make your actions seem more violent and risky, than they actually are... but with Darby as the no. 1 daredevil type of guy on everybody's list nowadays who we all anticipate to quite literally 'end' his career prematurely 'in the ring' ... While he's incredibly entertaining to watch, his bumps feel like a car crash. It's that bad, you can't look away, but you can't fully enjoy it either. Makes me worried about his health, as well as the health of his opponents. He's taking mainstream wrestling to new extremes, which, honestly I don't think are worth reaching. He definitely gained a lot more respect with his AEW world-title run in 2026, but putting your body on the line like this 1 or even 2 times a week also felt ... incredibly short-sighted, to put it mildly."

[10.0] "There will never be another one quite like him. I've known this for a long time, but after watching his unbelievable AEW World Title Run (which really deserved a better ending), I can safely say that Darby Allin is one of the greatest talents to ever grace the mat. Splendid underdog, amazing babyface, surreal character. Truly some kind of walking miracle. "Death fears Darby.""

[10.0] "Just this month reign was enough to make me invest into Darby. His feuds with the Dogs and his other roadblock side quests soured me on him a lot, but this world title reign completely diverted my expectations. Take a break Darby, you deserve it."

[9.0] "Has proven himself beyond compare in this current string of championship defenses. It's incredible to see such a reckless fighting champion put so much into every single one of these matches. And even with all that still put on some incredible performances without once comprising who he is."

[9.0] "My main reservation against Darby Allin was always "He's a great babyface character, but is he actually a great wrestler? " This World Championship reign he's currently enjoying at time of writing has made it clear as day that yes, he is an outstanding wrester when he chooses to be. If I have anything negative left to say, it's that I wish he'd choose to be an outstanding wrestler more frequently. I respect that the stuntman stuff is what got his foot in the door to begin with, but at this stage in his career, I would like for him to move away from that, within reason."

[10.0] "I can honestly say I have never seen anybody wrestle like Darby Allin. He's proving to me every week now that he is forging an all-time legacy in AEW, all while championing the same thrillseeking attitude as Jeff Hardy. If Darby hasn't gotten seriously fucked up by this point, I honestly can't say I see it happening anytime soon. Thankfully in the landscape of AEW, guys don't have to wrestle 200 nights a year so he can do crazy shit as often as he wants and the odds are still lower than they would be elsewhere. I wish nothing but the best for Darby as world champion and see nothing but the best for him in his future."

[6.0] "Since Darby has returned in 2025, he's done the same thing and it's boring. Pre wrestledream it was great but now it feels just dragged. He made moxley quit, beat the death riders in blood and guts, cuts the same promo about how he loves AEW and he's desperate beat...PAC...? He does too much in his matches as well and he won't make it much more if he continues doing these kinds of things. Not a wrestler for me these days, he needs something new. His world title run has been good which isn't a surprise because he's tremendous in the ring. But I'm still not into him in other ways. Just not for me."

[10.0] "One of the best wrestlers in AEW easily , always has good matches and lives for the company. His TNT Title reigns were great and his current World Title reign is the best World title reign this year so far. Amazing talent though I wish he would tone down on the crazy shit, he does it so often that people forget he is actually a great wrestler without needing to do that type of stuff."

[10.0] "The Best Wrestler In The World today. It is undeniable that Darby Allin's work in and out of the ring is truly exceptional. He's one of a kind and his ability to flawlessly pull people into his matches irrespective of who he is facing is excellent. His promos have drastically improved, his ringwork will leave your mouth agape almost every single time. I truly believe there is no wrestler right now that makes you want to cheer for him louder in the midst of one of his matches then Darby."

"I like this kid! He often amazes me with his death defying dives. I am worried that might cut his career short. The best run was teaming with Sting."

[8.0] "Very talented and has a really good gimmick. His mic work is also really impressive. I don't like the risks that he takes, I think even without doing such risky spots, he would still be a big attraction. His AEW World Championship was one of the most incredible moments in AEW history."

[2.0] "About as pure of a risk taker as wrestling has seen since Jeff Hardy, Darby is fine when put in the proper spots. Since 2019, he's been an AEW mainstay and has shown steady improvement year by year, as he inches closer to the main event scene of the company, becoming World Champion on short notice despite never really showing he can exist in a main event singles role in his career. He's never quite improved his promo skills, his in-ring style has gotten deeply formulaic, and it seems like his best run was being aligned with Sting, but there's time to go in the career of Darby. Outside of the ring, Darby has allegations of abuse against him, has bragged about weird behavior with the homeless, among other issues."

[9.0] "First review after he won the world championship lets go? All seriousness, he is the person to lead AEW to the next generation. A pillar of AEW, Darby Allin is this generations Jeff Hardy, with a bit of ECW in him. He sells so well, and does the craziest shit imaginable. Once in a lifetime talent, lets hope this push goes somewhere good"

"[10.0] I think that Darby is one of the best wrestlers of all time, and he inspires me to watch AEW, and he makes wants to wrestle. But I'm a content creator at the end of the day, and so I want to meet one day and do a stream with him or a video. And I want him to teach me how to wrestle, and I hope I'll be a big streamer/youtuber/content creator to wrestle in AEW, and it's always been my dream to wrestle, make videos, and stream."

[6.0] "Darby is really losing his impact with me. Why are we getting him beating everyone in feud after feud after feud with no end goal or progress in site, where all of the matches are just him pissing blood all over the place and doing nutty hardcore spots, that while impressive, have massively diminishing returns when you see them week after week after week. He still can be great when he's on it, but he's honestly made me tired to see him. Hopefully he can dial it back and make the huge stunt spots and gusher matches feel special again."

[10.0] "Darby Allin is just on another level when it comes to being unique. Everything he does feels real, he has that rare ability to make you care instantly, even against much bigger opponents.No one can deny how committed he is every single time. One of the most genuine and captivating wrestlers out there today."

[7.0] "I wanna like Darby more, but I don't know how long he'll be able to work or if he actually cares about wrestling. He can actually work and has a natural charisma that draws people to him. He seems more concerned with his ventures outside the ring, which is fine, it's his life. Very undersized, but uses it to his advantage and works in a believable way. Absolutely throws himself at people and looks like he's fighting for his life. Wish he would tone down some of the highspots, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. Could be a bigger star if he committed himself to it."

[6.0] "I've never got Darby at all. He takes crazy risks and does hardcore spots that I'm not all that into. I don't particularly enjoy seeing a man put his life in danger on a regular basis. He is still athletically gifted, and I've recently seen him wrestle some decent ordinary, non-hardcore matches."

[9.0] "Maybe the current or even former best TV wrestler in the entire world. Imagine getting for free on television someone that would KILL himself just to get some crowd reaction, he is a beast. However, I do need to say that his biggest weakness is also his biggest attribute. He leaves an complete alternative style, wrestling is not his biggest passion, never was an never will be. He love to be in front of a crowd, fighting and showing the best he can do, risking his body at the limits. At the same time, it kinda annoys me that he does not have the hungry mode to chase down an world title, Tony Khan will never gave an world title for a guy that clearly already said multiple times he loves AEW, but the "W" isn't his primary focus. He fucking leaves AEW during the Death Riders build up to go into the fucking Everest man. Beast."

[9.0] "People say he's a modern day Sting? He's more of a modern day Mick Foley. The bumps this guy takes literally every single time he's in the ring is nothing but brutal. Darby is also a really good wrestler and the crowd loves him. Wish he would save the bumps for PPV's or just limits the amount of crazy bumps he does. I still love Darby, but I'm afraid he won't be able to walk by the time he reaches 40"

[10.0] "Darby Allin is a wrestler I was skeptical of when I first saw, but quickly won me over with his performances. Darby is easily the best seller in wrestling today, making every match feel like a hard-fought, brutal war, even when no weapons are involved. His style is so realistic and unlike any other wrestler out there; he comes across as a wounded animal fighting for its life, where everything he does is a painful struggle. Even on offense, Darby often has an anguished look on his face, or climbs the ropes while holding his back. In a day and age where no-selling is rampant and wrestling often feels too choregraphed, Darby is a wrestler who makes everything look real again. I also can't leave out his unique bumping style where every move he takes looks insanely painful. I'm not sure if there's a secret to his technique or if the bumps just really are that painful. Psychology-wise, he wrestles exactly like someone his size should, and I never see him do anything his character shouldn't do."

[10.0] "Occasionally I'll cringe at a spot that looks way too painful but I think Darby Allin is an insanely good pro wrestler and I love watching his work. That entire run with Sting was just so fun too."

[8.0] "I've rethought my vision of wrestling. And I believe Darby Allin is a big kudos for being willing to take such hardcore and spectacular spots. But I still think he has issues with his character. The guy's over 30 years old, and in Blood and Guts he's still acting like a 14-year-old teen obsessed with his skateboard. The same problem exists with Cassidy. They've been the same as they were 5 years ago. And that's a problem."

[6.0] "has that weird aura and enough crazy bump-taking ability to be compelling most of the time, but is also too often victim of his own character. he embodies that cringe of early 00s emo that can be extremely entertaining in the right context, but becomes annoying when overdone. and he overdoes it every other match"

[9.0] "Very passionate spot dude. Well, he's a daredevil for a reason, he's always being slammed onto tables, glass, ladders, floor and he just keeps getting up like nothing happens. On top of everything, he has a great understanding of ring psychology, and he knows how to move and act like any other renowned wrestler. He's always fun to watch, and you always have to wait and see what other crazy thing he'll come up with next."

[10.0] "One of the most insane wrestlers of all time. Darby is constantly one upping himself on the most insane spots I've ever seen. But he always understands wrestling at a deeper level, great psychology, great at selling, great at everything really. One of the best TV workers of all time. His promos are hit and miss but overall I'd say he's pretty good at them. Darby is a special, one of a kind wrestler."

[9.0] "He is the definition of extreme I love his unpredictability you never know what Darby will do I always end up suprised and entertained when he's on my screen."

"PROS: Best selling in his promotion, makes everyone else better. Intriguing look and character. Invaluable in multi-man settings, brings big energy to slower affairs. CONS: One-trick pony to a degree, struggles to lead matches. Limited moveset compared to juniors in AEW. Injury prone due to his style. CONCLUSION: Situational talent that can drag down classics or make diamonds out of coal. Watch him if you enjoy chaotic, fast-paced work."

[10.0] "Fully convinced he's the best TV wrestler of the decade, no one in the US will take risks like he does and come out of it without being hurt. When you're watching a Darby Allin match you know he'll leave it all in the ring, also the best suicide dive in the business. An inspiration"

[8.0] "Darby is the definition of a badass with his crazy awesome in ring stuff and his hardcore style of wrestling. Whenever I first saw Darby I thought he was and awesome daredevil and I haven't stopped enjoying him yet. He is definitely a future world champion in my opinion. I also thought it was cool when he wrestled in Stings retirement, broke his foot, got hit by a bus, and then proceeded to wrestle in Anarchy in the Arena and Blood and Guts all in the span of a couple months. Freak of nature and one of my personal favorites in AEW, hopefully a future world champion."

[8.0] "Darby Allin is one of the most unique and fearless performers in wrestling today. His reckless style isn't just for show--he makes you feel every bump and dive, and that emotional connection is rare. He has this raw authenticity that draws fans in, even if he's not the most polished technical wrestler or promo. Some might criticize the risks he takes, and honestly, they're not wrong--he flirts with injury way too often. But that's part of the Darby experience: chaotic, real, and impossible to ignore. Not perfect, but undeniably impactful."

[7.0] "He has a strange kind of charisma. He's very likeable and rootable overall. He's a decent promo and is very athletic and capable of having great matches as he's shown. That being said, Darby Allin is an idiot. The man does high risk moves that could end careers on a monthly basis whe he doesn't need to because he's already over. At this rate, his wrestling career will not last much longer and he'll be forced to retire. All around, he's one of the best babyfaces and stars of AEW but he's an absolute idiot."

[9.0] "The best out of AEW's iteration of the four pillars, and probably the best wrestler in that company now that Danielson is retired. With that being said, his promos are at their best when he's paired up with someone who can really BRING it out in him, ya' know? (Sting, MJF.) But, unlike his promo ability, he doesn't need to be treated with charity in that ring. He can work a clean and technical style, to people's surprise, as he showed in Full Gear 2021. But, everyone knows him for his trademark reckless style -- which I love. I just think he needs to tone it down a bit, for the sake of his young life and career! Oh, and also... his size. Now, I personally don't mind it, because I actually think it fits his character. But man, does it take you out of his matches! Especially when he's in there with a big guy."

[10.0] "Darby Allin is the best TV wrestler in the world, and it isn't particularly close. If you think he's merely a shock value stunt guy, you're incredibly wrong and need to rewatch his stuff. Absolute master of the little things. The Jeff Hardy comparisons are shortsighted and make no sense beyond them both jumping off of high stuff, which tons of wrestlers do, Darby works circles around Jeff."

[3.0] "I find him highly overrated. People compare him to Jeff Hardy and I can understand it to a certain extend because both have unique looks and are known for high risk moves. But the difference is that Jeff was not just a "stunt guy" and had damn good matches without any of that, and made it believable that he could beat bigger guys. Darby on the other hand is just a stuntman who still would be on the indy's if AEW didn't exist who allows him to do these death-defying spots on the regular. The fact is, that without these spots, all what's left is a below average wrestler with bad mic-skills and a very slim frame that wouldn't make me believe for a second that he could beat 90+% of the roster, let alone play a big role on these shows. On one hand it's somewhat admirable that he has the guts to do these crazy spots, but I find it very concerning that people would let him do these things on the regular and risk something horrific to happen that could also backfire on the company. I can't see him having a long career and god knows how wrecked his body will be when he retires. The only thing I liked from his run so far was the pairing with Sting which was pretty cool. But I hope that the industry moves on from stuntman and stops giving young talents the idea that you have to do this crazy stuff in order to get over, which already created too many tragedies in the 90s and 00s."

[8.0] "Darby is the Man. He's easily one of my favorites in the world right now. He puts his body through hell every match to entertain the fans. He's a badass and a really cool dude."

[9.0] "Darby is a fantastic underdog wrestler who has absolutely mastered the David vs Goliath match type, if you want to re-establish a Samoa Joe as a Killer Then Darby is your guy if you want a good match on pay per view for Brody King then Darby is your guy like seriously this man never misses against Super heavyweights he'll throw his body around like a freaking cannon ball with no regard for his health and he will sell the sh! T out of his big spots and make you wince, there have been countless times where I've seen this man land horibbly and think for sure that he " broke " something only for him to get up and do the most batshit insane stuff I've ever seen. When I first watched Aew for the first time I wasn't familiar with most of the roater only recognizing the ex "wwe" guys and Darby is the first Aew original that caught my eye Tony schiovanne and Taz would put over how unique he was and how "relentless" he was which I thought was too cliche and over stated at the time but over time I finally get it now Darby is a special talent and the only factor that prevents me from giving him a 10 is the fact that he's been dancing in the same spot for a while and I'll give him a 10 when he eventually fulfills his destiny and becomes Aew world champion."