10 Wrestlers AEW Has Already Made Better

That Darby Allin is too small to be a believable mainstream wrestler and takes too many reckless bumps are popular cynical standpoints, both of which have been torn apart by the do-or-die daredevil's sublime presentation, characterisation, and in-ring storytelling in AEW.

Allin shot to prominence at Fyter Fest. He didn't beat Cody that night, but pushed 'The American Nightmare' to his absolute limit, forcing a shocking time limit draw against the company's future ace. Immediately, Allin was put over as a hard-to-kill cockroach with propulsive offensive capabilities. This draw would help justify his number one contender's bout with Jimmy Havoc a few months later and, at Dynamite #3, Darby was a perfect underdog opponent for Chris Jericho, showing unparalleled guts and spirit to fight the AEW World Champion even with his hands taped behind his back. It was a fabulous, complimentary showing.

That the undersized Allin has become such a star in this short space of time speaks to his unquestionable appeal. AEW crowds already adore him and he isn't close to fulfilling his potential at 22 years old, making him a dead cert to place highly on lists like this for the rest of the decade.