Nick Wayne Talks About Seeing AEW Star Darby Allin Grow

Nick Wayne might have turned on Darby Allin at AEW's WrestleDream to side with Christian Cage, but the 'AEW Pillar' is someone that he legitimately grew up with in the business. The two men got the chance to train together, with Wayne having witnessed Allin's entire journey in professional wrestling to this point.

"Seeing him grow to what he did on the independents and obviously into what he's doing at AEW is an amazing thing to see," he told "The Wrestling Classic." "Him offering me the contract at 16 is something that I'll never take for granted and I'll never forget, probably one of the best days of my entire life."

Allin turned up at a DEFY Wrestling show to offer Wayne his original AEW contract, which allowed him to sign for the company but not compete for them until he turned 18. It created a full-circle moment for them after spending time training together in Seattle where they had spent a lot of time together. AEW initially tapped into that relationship by having Allin act as a mentor for Wayne when he debuted in the company, with the two men even having a friendly singles encounter.

"We became very connected and close because he trained at my father's school around the same time that I started training, and he was one of those ones that was very dedicated to it," Wayne said. "Whenever you opened the doors he would be there. So, I would see Darby maybe five, sometimes six times a week. We would go on family vacations together sometimes."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "The Wrestling Classic" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.