AEW star Darby Allin surprises fan with special needs
Before he competes for indie promotion 1FW tonight, AEW star Darby Allin helped bring some joy to a fan with special needs.
11Alive News in Georgia produced a story on Allin surprising a huge wrestling fan named Buddy Divins, who didn’t know Allin would be there and thought he was just coming to the news studio for a visit. Allin met Divins, gave him tickets to 1FW’s July 17 show, and even invited Divins to come see his house.
“The story didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling. Darby invited Buddy back to his home, where he showed him his practice wrestling ring, his skate park and his ATVs. There were no interviews. No cameras. No audience. Just two people spending time together,” 11Alive’s Kaitlyn Ross wrote.
“Darby shared that he knows what it feels like to grow up searching for a place to belong. That’s why he wants every fan who walks into a wrestling show to feel welcome. Athletes are often celebrated for what they do under the spotlight. But the moments that mean the most happen after the crowd goes home and the cameras turn off. Thank you, Darby, for giving Buddy a memory he’ll always carry with him and for showing him he has a place in the wrestling world.”
Divins also met John Cena in 2024 after the Jonesboro, Georgia police department was able to make that visit happen.
Darby Allin vs. Kiran Grey set for 1FW —
1FW is owned by QT Marshall and has a partnership where its TV episodes are available on MyAEW. At tonight’s Summer Stage 2 event, Allin will face off against his protege Kiran Grey in a no DQ match. The show is being held in Atlanta at Center Stage.
The match is happening just a few days after Allin defeated Brian Cage on AEW Dynamite.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.