Tony Khan Recalls Darby Allin Wanting To Get Hit By A Car During Early AEW Feud

Darby Allin is no stranger to pulling off crazy stunts, such as hanging upside down from his ankles and taking a bump through a pane of glass. In the early days of All Elite Wrestling, though, AEW CEO Tony Khan turned down one of Allin's stunt ideas. During a recent interview with "Way of the Blade," Khan revealed the pitch in question and the reasoning behind his rejection.

"Darby wanted to get hit by a car in his program with Sammy [Guevara]," Khan recalled. "I said, 'That is not something we can do right now because we really need you. Not only can I afford for you to not get hurt, I can't even write you off for a week to sell. You need to wrestle on the show every week right now, so I can't do that. We don't have anybody else to wrestle right now and you're a major part of what we're doing week to week.'"

The feud between Allin and Guevara took place in the early months of 2020, the same time in which the COVID-19 pandemic took over. As such, AEW maintained operations with a "skeleton" crew, leaving little room for storyline or legitimate absences. According to Khan, the company roster size at the time reached just under 30% of the current one. Furthermore, AEW boasted very few "name" wrestlers, making Allin's availability all the more crucial.

While he still hasn't gotten hit by a car on AEW television, Allin has purposely crashed into one as he tried to enact revenge on the Death Riders at AEW Full Gear. Unfortunately, The Death Riders were unaffected as they retreated to another nearby vehicle instead.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Way of the Blade" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.