Insight with Chris Van Vliet - Darby Allin on Being Your Authentic Self, Trusting Your Gut and Chasing After Your Dreams

Episode Date: November 10, 2021

Today's guest is Darby Allin (@darbyallin). Darby is a skateboarder and professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He talks about the obstacles that stood in his way on his journey to become a pro wrestler, how skateboarding has influenced his style, his friendship with Tony Hawk, why he thinks fans relate to him so much, how he created his finishing move "The Coffin Drop", his match with MJF at AEW Full Gear and much more! If you enjoyed this episode, could I ask you to please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcast/iTunes? It takes less than a minute and makes a huge difference in helping to spread the word about the show and also to convince some hard-to-get guests. For more information about CVV and INSIGHT go to: https://podcast.chrisvanvliet.com Follow CVV on social media: Instagram: instagram.com/ChrisVanVliet Twitter: twitter.com/ChrisVanVliet Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisVanVliet YouTube: youtube.com/ChrisVanVliet TikTok: tiktok.com/@Chris.VanVliet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All systems are going. Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Van Bleas! All right. Welcome back to another audio adventure on Insight. I'm CBV, Chris Van Fleet, and in a sea of podcast, thank you for choosing to spend your time with us. If it's your first time here, I'd be honored if you took a second to hit follow wherever you're listening right now. This is a beautiful conversation with a beautiful man. And I say beautiful because that's a word that Darby Allen uses quite a few times here. There's so much more to him than what you see on AEW in his matches and in his promos.

And I hope that his words here touch you and inspire you as much as they did for me. You're going to be blown away by this. Take a screenshot. Let us know what resonates with you the most from this conversation. Tag us on social media. Darby is at Darby Allen on both Twitter and Instagram. and I'm at Chris Van Vleet. That's on Twitter and Instagram

and chris dot Vamvleet if you happen to be on TikTok. You can also check out our back catalog of all of our interviews that we've ever done at chrisvamvleet.com. Our fan of the week is John J.T. Martin who says, grateful. Hi, Chris. I've been sick and laying in bed all week

and your podcasts have helped me to stay entertained while recovering. I'm grateful for your incredible content and for my incredible wife, Aggie, who's been taking care of my incredible son, Austin. That's a lot of incredbleness there. I like it. I just want to let you know that I appreciate all of your interviews and your insight on each and every podcast and would be grateful if you could do a shout out to the best mommy in the world,

Aggie, because she deserves to hear how grateful I am for her during this difficult week. Thank you so much. Please keep up the incredible work. Well, thank you, John J.T. Martin, and thank you, Aggie and Austin for being incredible. And thank you for leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. I read one on every single episode. So if you want to take some time to leave a few words, leave a few emojis on there, I will shout you out here for free, just like that. No Patreon required. No donation required. For free, just leave a few words on Apple Podcast.

I appreciate you. Thank you in advance. The first interview I did with Darby Allen was about two and a half years ago and a ton has changed since then, both in the world and in the wrestling world and in Darby Allen's world. And it's so exciting to see everything that he has going on right now. And I can't wait to see what's next for him, both in wrestling and beyond. You're going to love this. Please welcome Darby Allen. Man, it is good to see you again. It's been a while. It has.

It's been like almost two years, I think. Yeah, since our last interview. Yeah. First started with AEW. Man, had the times change. Yeah, I wasn't sure if we would get a face paint Darby Allen today or what we have right now. This is quite a surprise. Well, to be fair, I'm about to jump on an airplane.

Pretty stupid. And I am known to wear my face paint on the airplane, but I'm not in the mood to look like a tweaker through the airport right now. So what happens when you show up at TSA with half a face full of face pain? They think that I'm a rock star or something like that. Then they start questioning me because I sometimes carry my thumbtack skateboard. And they actually let me through TSA with the thumbtack skateboard, which is surprising. but yeah that sounds really dangerous yeah but uh they're cool with it so what where are we right now looks like hoodlum on the behind you here yeah it's my basement okay yeah i got my uh my whole basement i got

the skate ramp over there the rest of the ring right there and there's uh actually once i got me to see this i'll flip my camera okay let's see oh my gosh there's holes in the ceiling because we We had a concert here last week, and the dude played right here, and we were mosh pitting in the ring. There was a circle pit in the ring, and I picked up my buddy and threw his head through the ceiling, so there's some ceiling tiles missing. Yeah, that's, it was a good time. I had a fucking lovely time. I expect an invite next time, all right? Yeah, I don't think you'd want to play.

We had had challenges where we filled up the whole bathtub with hot dogs. There was thousands of hot dogs, and we went and Bobby a hot dog band. It was a, gosh. It was a good though, dude. Best Halloween party of me. I love that no matter what success you've achieved in AEW and no matter how many interviews you've done or paper views you've done or TV channels you're on, you're still the same Derby.

Yeah, dude. I don't know. I don't know, dude. I've known you for a while. I've known you for a long time. I've had the great fortune of being your ring announcer several times. times at Blueprint Pro Wrestling in Deerfield Beach, Florida. You've definitely come a long way. Was this always the plan for you? Yeah, dude, it was always the plan for me to do things on my

terms and get as far as possible on my terms because money's good, but dignity's better. I feel like I've kept my whole dignity intact on the road. to success in AEW, which is amazing. But yeah, dude, this is what I dreamed of, having a ring in my basement and escape ramps and 14, because last time we talked, I lived in an apartment, but now I bought a house with 14 acres

and just crazy shit here. So I have all my friends and move in, and we just do crazy shit all there. I think I'm always so surprised when I see that you're still doing like insane skateboard stunts. And I'm wondering if anyone in AEW is like, hey Darby that's great but like please don't break any bones they know that I I I'm filming a new skate video right now and I'm about done with it

because we're actually coming out with a Darby Allen skateboard collab with Death Wish Skateboards that pretty big I got the logo tattooed on my cheek right there oh yeah yeah we're coming out with the Darby Allen Death Wish skateboard coming out and I wanted to put a video part out for it. So they know I have, I know my limits. Eight, my top priority and I can't show up to work

with a broken hip. Have you had a worse injury in the wrestling ring or while skateboarding? Skateboarding, by far. Yeah. Jesus. It's actually kind of a crazy story. Going down this big hill,

like this ravine thingy, and I hit a crack at the bottom and then my elbow went into my ribs and I thought I broke my ribs and then my kneecap smashed in the wall and then I was like laying there and I thought like I just broke everything I'm laying there on the ground

and all of a sudden I'm laying in a red ant hill so it just got worse and worse and I thought I broke my wrist and had to wrestle the next week it was yeah it was fucked up I thought yeah nobody knows that stuff wow

and then red ants on top of it. Yeah. And I contemplating to go to the hospital for three hours. I was just like, off and on blood, I'll go. But I never did, so I didn't go. Yeah, I think you're insane. Man.

When was the first time that you saw a fan with the face paint like yours? Definitely wasn't on the independence. I'll tell you that. I can't remember the exact time, but I know whenever it was the first, year in AEW where there's Halloween. I just start seeing a lot of people, especially like every year since then, it's grown and

grown. Like I reposted on my Twitter or my Instagram story and the support is insane. So it's crazy. Then I go to signings like Comic-Conn's and whatnot. And then I see all the, there's kids in line that have the face pain and, you know, everything. And it's sick. It's very, very sick to see that growth. And, you know, because I don't claim to be a role model, but if people want to look up to me,

cool. Yeah. I feel like you represent something to these fans. What do you think it is that you represent? Realness. Realness. A lot of people are fake and they have like fake. They play one thing on TV,

but in reality, they're like the most boring things. Like their person watching like paint dry. But I feel like with me, it's like, oh shit, he's legit. What do you see on the outside of the ring, if not crazier on the upside?

Who knows? Dude, to me, wrestling is therapy going out there is therapy and getting crazy that's like so i think they see that the fans take notice of that that this is me do you think it's possible to keep this pace up like as you keep going yeah no i feel great my body feels amazing i i'm very like we all know that i'm straight edge but people don't know all the work that i put in to feel healthy and the the stretching and the eating red and taking care of myself. And plus, I feel like I don't give my body time to rest.

Every time I'm like skateboarding or doing something active. And that's like the one thing Tony Hawk told me was he's like 54 years old and he's like killing it on the skateboard still. And he says, just don't stop. Because the moment you take a break, that's when everything starts like feeling like shit. So I just be like, dude, after tapings, I'll have this crazy match. I got to go to the skate park or I got to go skate or I got to go. go swim, jump out of a helicopter, whatever the hell I do.

Yeah, since you are straight edge, what's a vice for you? Like, for some people, it's drinking, for some people, it's eating ridiculous amounts of food or doing drugs. What's your vice? Adrenaline junkie. Yeah, like, I need to go do something sketchy. I legit get, like, anxious if I don't do something sketchy, like, every day. Like, I start getting like, oh, like, I'm, like, being lazy or I'm fucking up or something.

I felt like I almost broke my toe today, right in my dirt bike. But I can show you people my toe. But I felt like I was like I cracked it on a ladder. There was like a ladder in the yard and I hit it right in the dirt bike. I was like, fuck. You know, I have a video where I swim with alligators in the Florida Everglades. So next time you're in South Florida, I will set you up with Gabby and Chris and you can swim with a 10 foot alligator in Florida. If this is something that appeals to you.

I'm down. Like, I'm down. Like, I would be totally, that sounds like a beautiful time. I went kayaking before where there's alligators in the water, but I'm not swimming with them. You know, if I fell off the boat,

I'd probably be aiding, but that sounds like, that sounds like a good time. We'll make that happen. Next time you guys are in South Florida, I will hook you up and we'll make this happen. Yeah. Van Bleets gaiters.

That's awesome. What's the scariest coffin drop you've ever done? Um, I would probably say the one, to Ethan Page when I had him in the coffin, only because there was little room for error. And the moment I broke through that coffin, you see the spikes sticking up that it was made.

So I could have easily impaled myself or I kind of just hit my head on the rim of the coffin. But there was zero room for error. People were like, do you practice that? I'm like, I don't know how you're going to practice that. You just kind of, so that was probably the most, like, room for error. And I knew, you know, I didn't know what was going to happen to Ethan. I crashed through the coffin and all I hear is him screaming.

I'm like, oh, well, I guess I fucked him up. Also, I'm glad he's still alive. Yeah, because the camera's not on him. Like when he's in there, not going to be selling it. Yeah. For like real screams. And I was like, well, I don't know how you practice a coffin drop, like, period, whether it's through a coffin or not.

Like, I think the biggest thing about taking a wrestling bump is making it like as, you have as much space as possible. You're putting your arms down. and you're having the bump go throughout your entire body. I don't know how you do it. How did you do your first cough and drop? I don't know. I think what it was,

I was bored of watching people do like 4-50s or shooting star presses. And I was so like, I'm like, oh, man, I don't want to fly to look pretty. I want to fly to hurt. And I literally just started falling backwards and like, there's zero room for error.

You know what I mean? Like, when people do like 630s, like the double front flips, I'd hate to do that. every night because I feel like I'm like, oh, I got it. Can't split. If you, if you fuck up a coffin drop, you got issues. Because it's pretty easy.

You just fall back on somebody. Right, but it's kind of like a, it's like a trust fall. Like, I feel like there's other people that might try to do a coffin drop and halfway through, they'd be like, ah, and they put their hands down or something. Yeah, I don't know what it is. I feel like you just, a lot of it's adrenaline, for sure, because, you know, I'm not going do a coffin drop of practice cold turkey like so unless you know this is the years of concrete from skateboarding i think you know got me ready geez all right take me back to the moment when

you found out that you were going to be cm punk's first match in seven years um i think it was i was talking to Tony on the phone. And, you know, it was just, that was it pretty much. And then, you know, you don't believe something until it happens. And then once I cut that promo about the best in the world that aired in North Carolina, I knew that that was a done deal. And it was go time. And that was the most high pressure situation ever because I knew, you know, everybody was going to be watching him because it's such a

thing seven years like holy shit fucking a long time and for him to leave the way he did in wrestling to come back people weren't sure if he was ever going to come back so when he did and I was the first opponent I remember that day I was so

like nervous I was like in a zone like I've been in a few zones in life but like life's like I've lived multiple times but I feel like you kind of have yeah but like life I was in a zone that day where I don't know

I felt like in my brain I was like it's not going to get more nerve wracking than this it's not like in a way that's like cool to have moments like that where you mentally get stronger when you know it's done and yeah like I remember

because it started hitting me hard because I remember when he left wrestling back in I think it was 2013 or 2014 one of the two is the same year actually started wrestling myself and then at the time

he was like my favorite wrestler just because, you know, beyond the straight edge thing, just like the whole punk rock, you know, I don't give a shit about what you think about me attitude. It was very cool as a kid, you know, just being a skate rat like myself, just watching him. Because,

but then it all hit me. I was like, shit, dude, when he left, I was a dishwasher and, you know, I was fucking, and I was like, dude, like, life's a trip. So, you know, I got a little teary died before that match and me.

thing had a little moment. It was a fun. Was it CM Punk that wanted you? I don't fucking know. I have no clue. I just know that like I think, you know, from a standpoint of

you know, I know that he was a fan of my work prior. So, but I don't know. It was like, yo, let me have him, but it worked out. And there's always, to me, there's always one return match back. You know, so that's a good thing to have for the resume and for life in general.

So, yeah, I don't know, I had a fucking lovely time that night. I feel like he must see some of himself in you in the same way that you see some of yourself in him. Yeah, like I can see that being younger and stuff like that. you know, he always said in interviews that if he was young kid, Darby Allen would be his favorite wrestler. And I thought that was funny because he was my favorite wrestler when I was younger. So, yeah, who knows? But shit, it was beautiful that night. It was.

I mean, that's a huge high point in your career. If we go the reverse on that, what would you say has been the biggest low point of your career? And what did you learn from it? low point like just in life and like career like from the moment sure or life oh I don't know about life

I'll talk about wrestling um let me see I would say the biggest low point had to have been when I couldn't when I was like homeless in my car

and I couldn't catch a break like I you know I I just didn't know what I was missing mentally I wouldn't get booked anywhere. And I was like, what the fuck is going on here? Like, because the thing with wrestling is I really don't, I personally, like, I respect the independence, but I'm happy I don't do them

anymore because a lot of independence was more of not your talent, but more of your friends. And I'm not here to be someone's friend. You know, you either book me because you respect my work or don't book me at all because I'm not going to kiss your ass and go out to the bars afterwards and hang out you guys. So that was annoying when I couldn't catch a break and then I see all these guys that are ass kissing and, you know, being buddy buddies with everybody and I was like, is that what I have to do? But like my insights told me like there's no fucking way. Like Garvey, you're not going to do that. So I'm happy I stayed the course because, you know, I couldn't look at myself in the mirror knowing that like I was fake. So. Yeah, I think the biggest lesson to take away from that is

like you've been so true to who you are through this whole process. Yeah, and that's, that's the thing with wrestling when I first started, because I dropped out of film school when I told myself, I was like, I'm going to do things on my terms, my way, or else I'm just going to fail.

And that's why I said earlier, money's great, but dignity's better because, you know, I could have changed who I was because early on, people were like, you know, who's with the short shorts and legs? I'm like, dude, I like it.

That's me. That's me. What I wear. That's like. And, but, you know, there's a million things people told me to change. But I was like, no, I'm not doing it. Do you wonder what your career would look like if AEW wasn't a thing? Because you fit in so perfectly in AEW and you're allowed to do seemingly whatever you want.

What would your career look like? Dude, I have no clue. That's the truth. And that's why I don't take anything for granted. That's why I like my ass off when it comes to promo videos outside of wrestling. That's why I work my ass off in the ring, whether it's dark, dynamite, paper views, rampages. Like there's not a night off for me, like mentally. Like when I'm there, I'm in a zone.

Like when I come to work, I like to be left alone. I normally, I just change in Sting's locker room. He told me like, dude, my locker is your locker room. So he's got his own personal room. So I just changed in there. Not because I think I'm better than people, but because I'm so determined to be as great as possible that when I'm around certain other people and their drama and, like, gossip,

it fucks with my head and I don't want to hear it. Like, that's not why I'm here. I'm here to, like, show the wrestling world what the hell's up? And when I see people take it for granted, it drives me insane. I'm like, yo, AEDW changed my life so insanely. Like, I was able to buy this house, travel the world, do all this crazy shit that I never thought was possible and make all these connections. And, you know, that I'm just like, dude, treat it with respect.

So that's all like, I don't know, I don't know. I don't know how to say, you know, what my life would have been like, you know. And it's scary to think about, but at the same time, you know, we're here. Yeah. Well, what have you learned from Sting? Whether it's been actual advice that he told you or maybe just something through osmosis that you've picked up on from him? He's so chill

In the sense of he There's no ego with him And I feel the more I'm around the best of the best Whether that's in skateboarding Like when I'm around Tony Hawk Or Travis Pastrana When I'm around him

Sting The guys that have done the most shit Are the most humble And the most nice And then I've got nothing to proof It's all the fake ass fucking want to be people that never made shit of themselves that are like have this ego you know who I am right you don't have to tell people who you are they should know so that's what I learned from

sting just be a fucking good human being and like you know be humble and cool and a lot of people are like oh that sting but like you know to me like I look at it like yo what up man you know I heard a great quote that I think so applicable here it's when you're good you tell everybody about it. And when you're great, everybody tells you. Yeah, that's a perfect analogy for this. You know, me and Sting have grown so much together outside of what people see on TV, just our personalities outside of the ring. You know, we've come so close and the fans, you know, don't see that part, you know, because originally he was supposed to come in for some cinematic matches. and I went to his house in Texas

where he had a ring set up and we started rolling around and training and I convinced him to actually wrestle in front of a live crowd and nobody gets to see those moments behind the scenes. It's just us talking like, no, you got this. Like you got this, dude.

I'm training with you and seeing what you're doing. Let's fucking do it. So that double or nothing pay-per-view with me and him versus Scorpio Sky and Ethan Page. meant a lot because you just never thought it was going to happen. This is crazy. If it wasn't for your friendship with Sting,

Sting might not be wrestling in front of a crowd. Yeah, that's the, it's the, but the thing is, it's like he gives other people confidence, you know, and it's cool that I can, you know, help, you know, no, you got this.

Yeah, and like, that's the it's cool to do that on all aspects of life like I do that now with my family and friends you know like just make them do like the other week we I ran out at helicopter and we went to the lake and like all right we're jumping out this puppy helicopter and it was like you know 50 feet 70 feet and then I was like you're doing it like to like my dad and my mom and my brothers and my friends that I have there and it's cool to I hype people up you know so it's just that's like my favorite thing because last year I was like or had it been about a year and a half ago now I wasn't I was like completely

I was doing good in AEW and life was like clicking and working but felt like something was missing so I went to Rob Deardek he had this this hypnotist that he used because he was about to be let go of all his skateboard companies when he was 24 years old and he was He's like, oh, shit. Like, what the hell? So he went to this hypnotist, and he credits that hypnotist for all his success with Robin Big and Finney's Factory and ridiculousness. This guy, like, set him on the right path.

So that's what I ended up doing. I went to this hypnotist, the same guy. And everything's been fucking amazing. But I felt like the number one thing was it wasn't my success that is going to make me happy. It's the success of my family and friends. So ever since then, I was like, yo, we got to do some crazy. crazy shit, like together and bringing my dad to have a private skate session with Tony Hawk was more rewarding than like being the highest rate of segment.

You know what I mean? Like mentally, you know, it's cool to have that. Like, don't get me wrong from being like this nobody to having these crazy like high rate of segments. Like that means a fucking shitload to me. But if you like my family and friends like super hyped and happy. Yeah. Rob Deirdricks, it's unbelievable what he's accomplished.

And I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and his business acumen. And I think what's crazy is I heard an interview with him recently. And he basically said everything he's ever wanted in life. He said it out there. He's put it out into the world. And then he's accomplished it. Yeah, that's exactly what I do. I do so much meditation and so much shit that like five years ago, I would have

been like, you're insane. Why are you doing this? But now I'm fucking do it. It feels amazing, dude. Like, you know, I feel, I feel beautiful. Like, and I'm, like, ready to just keep growing business-wise. And I got so much big shit lined up from all aspects of the, like, the world and shit coming up that I can't talk about here. But, like, it, no, I'm fucking hyped.

Yeah, what's five years from now for you? Dude, I have no idea. But that's like kind of the, I do have an idea, actually. I know what I'm going to be doing. But you'll wait to see. Mainly, daily, like, little goals is just to have my parents retire. And like, so that I don't have to work anymore and have them build them a house on my property and do some crazy shit. You know, because we just like, my mom and dad are crazy.

Like, they do like all the shenanigans with me. And it's fun to have them be like, oh, shit. like we thought our glory days were in our 20s but no motherfuckers right now getting that helicopter we're jumping us yes i hope we don't have to wait five more years to do another interview though we'll just see this stuff as it keeps happening yeah yeah yeah i do want to be super respectful of your time that you know we only had 20 minutes i've already gone over i'm so sorry about that but i end every interview talking about gratitude i start an end every day saying out loud three things that i'm grateful for so darby what are three things in your life

that you're grateful for right now. I'm grateful for the spot I'm in AEW. I'm grateful for the fact that I can walk because I do a bunch of shenanigans. And I'm grateful to KLMJ on Saturday at four years. Yeah, as we sit here right now, so your next match is with him, full gear. He said some like really personal things in that promo.

And I'm wondering if before he went out, there he said hey is it okay if we talk about x y and z well personally i don't care because i've put it out there in the world what he's already said so it's not it's not you know what i mean it's like if you want to do that go do that but you know i uh i think if something happens and you've talked about it you know you shouldn't have an issue with other people talking about it you know now if i never talked about that shit and he would say that and probably it'd be a little like oh like what but uh no it's it's cool i don't give a shit i'm just ready to go out there and show everybody why the AEW originals the pillars so to speak are um kind of still the show and like i said before no one's willing to go

where i'm willing to go to push a match a story or whatever you know so that's that's the that's the goal. That's what I'm great for is to still show us. What's scary is you just keep raising the bar for yourself. I feel like your biggest competition is who you were yesterday or who you were in your last match. And as you keep progressing, how are you going to keep out doing yourself? I don't know. That's the fun part. Dude, like, if someone told me five years ago, I'd be accomplished what I've accomplished. I'm like, oh, I got happy. But now that's I've accomplished that.

I'm like, oh, wait, I got to do this. And honestly, like growing and growing. So who knows, dude? And, like,

I got some big stuff planned outside of wrestling that should be coming up soon. That is going to show people another side of how crazy I'm going to get. So keep your eyes out. Yeah, I can't wait for it.

Thank you so much for chatting with us. Well, thanks for having you, Chris. Yeah, man. It's so good to see you. I look forward to see you. I look forward to seeing you again in person soon.

Yeah, one of these days. Hopefully, one of these days. Yeah, man. I think we could have talked for at least another hour. So that's how long the next interview is going to have to be. But I wanted to be respectful because we were only given 20 minutes for this interview. We definitely went way longer than that, and he had to catch a flight as well. So huge thank you to Darby for opening up with us and just for sharing his wisdom.

He's only 28 years old. and I feel like he is very much just getting started. Can't wait to see what's next for him. Snap a screenshot. Let us know what stood out for you the most from this conversation. What really spoke to you? Tag us on social media. Darby is at Darby Allen.

I'm at Chris Van Vleet and share this with a friend who you know needs to hear this today. I'll leave you with the actual quote that I referenced during the interview instead of my paraphrasing of it. It's from the great Walter Payton, who said, When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you.

Be great, be grateful. We'll see you on the next one for some more insight, my friends. The Hammer Alley podcast, an 80s flashback mockumentary. Back in the 80s, there were a thousand bands trying to make it in the world of rock. But there was one band that had it all. Hammer Alley. What happened to Hammer Alley? How did they go from top of the rock?

I'm looking for a music video. They're a band from 1987. Hammer Alley. Ever heard of them? To Rock Bottom. Dude, I was born in 1987. I can't believe he's doing this. Hammer Alley.

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