Photo: Courtesy of All Elite Wrestling
All Elite Wrestling star Darby Allin had a show-stealing performance during his Dynamite main event match against Jeff Hardy on Wednesday (May 11) night.
Allin, one of the industry's top rising stars, and Hardy, a bonafide legend, were competing in a no holds barred match showcasing their daredevil wrestling styles during the quarterfinal of the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament.
As Hardy laid on eight steel chairs placed outside the ring, Allin, standing atop a 20-foot ladder inside the ring, flipped out and onto Hardy, emulating his opponent's signature pose and finisher, 'the Swanton Bomb' (Senton Bomb).
Hardy did, however, pick up the victory by later reversing Allin's finisher, 'the Coffin Drop,' into a crucifix pin, which was a callback to his match against Triple H at WWE's 2008 No Mercy pay-per-view in which he lost in similar fashion to the more experienced veteran champion.
Prior to the match, Allin reflected on Hardy's influence on his career and the short time they've worked together since Hardy signed with AEW in March, with the two working as a team alongside Jeff's brother, Matt Hardy, and Allin's mentor, Sting.
"It’s one that has a lot to do with outside of wrestling," Allin told the New York Post when asked about his relationship with Hardy. "It’s the way I see him live his life outside of the ring, the stunts and the craziness that kind of draws me to him. I don’t get that from a lot of wrestlers. I don’t think I get that from any wrestlers. Nobody excited me outside the ring. To have that feeling with somebody, I’m like damn. So the first time I talked to him, we’re like, “Hey, you like to jump off of big s***. I like to jump off of big s***. You like dirt bikes. I like dirt bikes.” It was really like an organic relationship. It was super fun. For us to have that one tag match, me, Sting, Matt and Jeff down in Texas, that was also a lot of fun. It just feels very normal.
"People thought this was a dream match and, yes, it’s a dream match for me, but man this came really quick. I was expecting it a little bit down the road to be honest. This came really quick, but now’s better than never. Wednesday, I don’t know what to expect. It’s gonna be an interesting one."
Hardy will face Adam Cole in the Owen Hart Foundation Men's Tournament semifinal during the May 18 live broadcast of Dynamite.