Former AEW TNT Champion came close to joining WWE

A top AEW star recently shed light on his decision to join Tony Khan's promotion over WWE's NXT. The star in question is none other than Darby Allin.

Allin, a key figure since the early days of All Elite Wrestling, has garnered immense popularity and success within the promotion, capturing the TNT Championship along the way. He has faced off against some of the top names, including Cody Rhodes, Chris Jericho, and Jon Moxley.

In a recent interview with Forbes, Darby Allin opened up about choosing All Elite Wrestling over WWE NXT.

“I was kind of being set up to go to NXT before AEW came up, and the moment I heard AEW was starting, I instantly was like, I have to go to that place," he said.

Furthermore, he spoke about the creative freedom he has been granted within the promotion:

"And AEW is letting me just full-on be me 100 percent, and I think that’s why I’ve been able to connect with people so well in the short span that I’ve been on national television. My life doesn’t begin and end with wrestling, and I would hate to be anywhere else where I feel like I can’t be me. Honestly, like get real, no other company is gonna let me do what I do inside the ring and outside of the ring. And there’s no amount of money in the world to me that can make me stop skateboarding, or doing all my shenanigans.” (H/T - Forbes)

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AEW star Darby Allin recently got a new tattoo

Darby Allin is no stranger to making headlines. Not only did he attempt an audacious tricycle backflip stunt at a Nitro Circus event a few weeks ago, but he also debuted a striking new face tattoo.

Allin's new ink features a spectral skeleton hand that starts from his jaw, wraps around his ear, and ends up on the left side of his forehead.

Check out Allin's new face tattoo below:

At Full Gear, he is set to team up with Adam Copeland and Sting to take on Christian Cage, Nick Wayne, and Luchasaurus.