Darby Allin's run with the AEW World Championship might have been short compared to some of the previous reigns in the title's lineage, but it's safe to say that it was extremely memorable. A 39-day reign which included seven title defenses, a pay-per-view main event, and a lot critical acclaim from those within the company, Darby won over a number of people who thought that maybe putting the title on him wasn't such a good idea.The now former champion was a recent guest on the "Battleground" podcast where he was asked about his journey from being the underdog of the company to the top of the card, and despite claiming in the past he didn't need the world title to feel complete, Darby knew he could be the top guy in AEW."I felt it in my soul year one,"Darby said. "I felt it in my soul year one, but it's going to take time for a non-televised person that's never been on TV like myself to actually show it to people. That's going to take time, but I felt it in my soul because I really felt I was going to do more than anybody. I was going to take the ball and run with it. Through the creative freedoms that AEW's given us in the ring and outside the ring, I feel like I best capture what this place can do for one you know?"Darby explained that it's not just in the ring where he's allowed to live life to the fullest, hence why he achieved a personal goal of his in 2025 by climbing Mount Everest. Darby stated that the beauty of AEW allowing him to do such a thing is what makes him proud to represent the company.Please credit "Battleground" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
