Darby Allin is set to take some time away from AEW for a bizarre reason following his match at Full Gear.
Allin was victorious in the pay-per-view’s opening match last night alongside Adam Copeland and Sting. At one point, Allin took a terrifying bump when Luchasaurus chokeslammed him over the top rope and onto the ring apron, leading Excalibur to exclaim that Darby was taking that sort of punishment mere hours before getting on a red-eye flight.
More details on what was meant by that line of commentary have since come to light. During the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez noted that the flight is likely taking Darby Allin abroad as part of training for his upcoming climb of Mount Everest. Therefore, it seems Darby will be on sabbatical from AEW for the time being.
“I was told that he is getting on a red-eye [flight] and, I don’t know this for sure, but I think that he’s flying to China to train. So I don’t think he’s actually climbing Mount Everest yet but that is what they said on television. One way or the other, he is gone for a while. He is actually training, it is not a storyline. He’s going to try to climb Mount Everest.”
The painted army Adam Copeland, Darby Allin & making his final walk to the ring in LA at @thekiaforum Sting!
Watch #AEWFullGear LIVE on PPV!
🔗 https://t.co/vrXxJ8IVMl
📱 https://t.co/IGFXWHa3dW
🌏 https://t.co/m5uJ9xfmkr@RatedRCope | @Sting | @DarbyAllinpic.twitter.com/hiLHYARDIn— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 19, 2023
Darby Allin And Sting May Have Teamed Together For The Final Time
Later in the same episode, Dave Meltzer speculated that as a result of Darby’s supposed absence, Full Gear may mark the final time that he and his long-time partner Sting team up together before The Icon’s retirement next year.
Meltzer: “I said this after the show last week too, I really think that from this point forward with Sting, he’s not gonna be teaming with Darby because Darby is gonna be gone.”
Alvarez: “Well I don’t know how long Darby is gonna be gone or when he’s coming back or if he’s coming back between training and actually climbing. But yeah, it seems like for the time being, Darby is gone.”
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