Darby Allin did not need to win the AEW Royal Rampage match

All Elite Wrestling has a stacked roster of talented performers. It boasts some of the best professional wrestlers in the world. With so many names in one place, it’s perplexing that the company tends to go back to the same stars over and over again. This is exactly why Darby Allin did not need to win the Royal Rampage match for a shot at the AEW World Championship at Grand Slam.

Darby Allin is a made man in All Elite Wrestling. He was one of the first names the organization signed when it started to form. Cody Rhodes pointed him out as one of the individuals that the company could build around for the future. Fans recognize him as one of the “pillars” of the promotion. He’s a star within the organization and someone that can be considered a home-grown talent. At 31 years old he’s headed for greatness and understandably so.

Still, seeing him win the Royal Rampage on July 27 was an eye-rolling moment. Why? Just days before that (hours in real-time), Allin secured himself a shot at the TNT Championship held by Jack Perry at All In. He forced the Young Bucks to give him that spot, as he threatened to set Perry on fire. Just minutes before that he and Swerve Strickland got into it during a backstage segment where the world champion made it clear that Allin is now in his sights, thus becoming a contender for that championship as well. With all those developing angles in his pocket, why did the company feel the need to give him yet another big moment and a title shot so quickly after?

Swerve Strickland is facing Bryan Danielson at AEW All-In and that’s a huge match. It will either be the moment that Danielson finally obtains gold or will be a career-defining victory for Strickland. Allin, being set up as the next challenger might tip Tony Khan’s hand as to the direction he’s going, but it’s not quite clear. Still, one look at the AEW roster and it’s clear there are several names who would have benefited from this win. Claudio Castagnoli, Dante Martin, Daniel Garcia, Hook, Keith Lee, Kyle O’Reilly, Konosuke Takeshita, and Miro – those are just a small sample of talented performers who would thrive in that position. As the women’s division continues to run rampant with momentum and excitement, the men’s division feels stagnant and boring. Decisions like giving Allin yet another big victory and title shot stand out as an example as to why the promotion is in this position.

Darby Allin won the Royal Rampage in back-to-back fashion just a few moments after securing himself two other title shots to come. Tony Khan didn’t need to make this booking decision, especially when there are so many talented performers on this roster.