Darby Allin

AEW waved goodbye to 2020 with its last pay-per-view event of the year at Full Gear on Saturday night.

And it sure feels like it waved goodbye to a small era, too.

While AEW has always tried to walk a tightrope of veterans of other promotions like WWE and "homegrown" talent, Saturday night felt like the first time AEW-centric guys really shined brighter than most at a major event.

It started with Kenny Omega and "Hangman" Adam Page partaking in an amazing show-opening bout, the tournament finale for a shot at the company's top title. It's a gritty, personal story sending both guys off in interesting directions.

And the theme only continued with Darby Allin capitalizing on the cockiness of Cody Rhodes, earning the AEW TNT Championship as a prize.

It only escalated further from there, with The Young Bucks seizing tag team gold with a win over former WWE standouts FTR in a match where—much like Cody with AEW's top title in the past—they swore they'd never challenge for the titles again if they lost.

Why stop there, right?

MJF, who has long danced around the outskirts of Jericho's group, The Inner Circle, then took down the legend himself for the right to join that very group. One could see that leading to a long-term angle where MJF tries to assume leadership of the group by taking out its leader in a passing-of-the-torch moment perhaps, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

And while Jon Moxley—the man formerly known as WWE's Dean Ambrose—ended up retaining his AEW World Championship, it was very much a showcase match for the challenger Eddie Kingston and one where the spots themselves seemed to overshadow much. Moxley closing the show holding the top title was about as predictable as it gets, but it's the journey, not the destination, more often than not in pro wrestling (hence guys in certain companies losing all steam once they're not in "chase" mode).

While this theme is fun, nobody can carry a company quite like Moxley—but the point is AEW continues to smartly take its time in building up several guys capable of doing it. And with a match looming against Omega, maybe AEW fully embraces the idea at a later date with a title change at the very top.

Finally, gradually transitioning away from the former WWE base of talent now makes plenty of sense. These guys are ready to carry promotions at every level just underneath the very top. In The Young Bucks' case, sort of like Omega, they've steered away from the titles long enough.

In the case of someone like Allin, it just feels like an organic time to have him go over one of the company's biggest names and really establish himself as a headliner. He paid his dues, won over fans and now has that distinct AEW feel.

Former WWE guys carrying the company for a long time made plenty of sense, especially Jericho. His particular set of skills made him a natural champion—he wasn't exactly burning down the building with his wrestling in the ring.

But what Jericho was doing was making guys like MJF and his surrounding stable look like a million bucks. Hardcore wrestling fans knew who those guys were, but newcomers to the AEW product largely didn't.

Now, partially thanks to WWE carryovers like Jericho and mostly because of their own talents, everyone knows who they are.

Rest assured the company has to take this measured approach, too. There were some serious duds along the way while it tried to make AEW talent stand out. Think, the origins of the Dark Order and some of the stumbles the tag and women's divisions made.

The transition to the point where fans won't even make these distinctions anymore isn't so far off. AEW can stop worrying about whether fans will judge it harshly for giving Cody or Omega more title shots at the very top of the card.

Quietly, maybe this is why Full Gear felt like the best AEW pay-per-view to date. The stakes were high, titles changed hands and it's hard to even point to a bad finish. But the fact that some AEW homegrown talent really stepped up and won major matches feels like a huge deal.

In a way, it's somewhat fitting AEW used the final pay-per-view of the year to—intentionally or not—get this transition rolling in...full gear. The company will be better for it in the long term, and while the execution hasn't always been perfect, the further blurring of the lines and elevating of roster depth is what makes AEW arguably the best thing going in pro wrestling today.

Darby Allin defeated longtime rival Cody at AEW Full Gear on Saturday to win the TNT Championship for the first time.

Allin won despite withstanding an Avalanche Cross Rhodes from Cody, who was announced as "Cody Rhodes" for the first time in AEW history on Saturday:

Rhodes was feeling confident enough mid-match to do some pushups, which drew the ire of Arn Anderson.

Ultimately, Rhodes finished on the losing end after Allin got the pin following a cradle.

"I didn't think Darby Allin was going to win after going through all his signature spots and not getting the pin," Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful wrote. "Great swerve."

After the match, Rhodes bent his knee and handed Allin the title belt:

The match announcement was made during a TNT Championship match between Cody and Orange Cassidy on Oct. 14, with Allin looking on from the upper deck.

Cody and Cassidy fought to a time limit draw in that bout, which led to a rematch on the Oct. 28 edition of AEW Dynamite with the two combatants doing battle in a lumberjack match.

While Cody and OC were evenly matched once again, The American Nightmare managed to win the contest and retain the title due to some interference.

John Silver of The Dark Order took out Cassidy, and Cody's manager, Arn Anderson, surprisingly got in on the act as well by hitting Orange with the TNT belt. That allowed the titleholder to hit his challenger with Cross Rhodes for the win.

While there hasn't been much recent interaction between Cody and Allin, their rivalry dates back to the infancy of AEW, when they faced each other at the inaugural Fyter Fest in June 2019.

Allin enjoyed a star-making performance by showing out against Cody and battling him to a time limit draw in what was the biggest match of his career to that point.

Since then, they have teamed twice and faced each other in two additional singles matches prior to Saturday's bout.

They beat The Butcher and The Blade in December 2019, and Cody defeated Allin two weeks later. Then, Cody and Allin lost to Sammy Guevara and Shawn Spears on the March 26 edition of AEW Dynamite prior to their meeting in the semifinals of the TNT title tournament.

Allin attacked Cody after that match, which added more fuel to their rivalry. It was Cody who prevailed again in the semifinals of the tournament, though, and he went on to beat Lance Archer to win the title at Double or Nothing in May.

Allin has largely been involved in a feud with Brian Cage and Team Taz since then, but he finally found himself back in the TNT Championship picture at Full Gear.

By beating Cody for the TNT title, he finally proved he can win the big one in All Elite Wrestling, and his path to becoming a top star was cleared at Full Gear.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

This Saturday, Cody Rhodes will defend the TNT Championship against Darby Allin at AEW Full Gear in one of the most anticipated matches of the night. Those in the U.S. and Canada can order the event for $49.99 on B/R Live or through cable providers.

In addition to working as an on-screen talent, Cody also serves as one of the executive vice presidents of AEW in a backstage capacity and has been responsible for recruiting some of the company's most popular stars.

The American Nightmare spoke with Bleacher Report ahead of Full Gear to discuss the pay-per-view, growing up in the business, acting, political aspirations and much more. 

Cody grew up in a wrestling family with both his father and brother, Dusty and Dustin, becoming household names in the industry. 

The '80s and most of the '90s were dominated by Superstars who were larger than life both physically and in terms of their personality. When he was 19, the 6'1" Cody didn't think he was big enough to be taken seriously as a wrestler and had another plan to break into the business.

"My idea was to be in entertainment anyway," Rhodes said. "I wanted to go to L.A. and become a famous actor. This was my legit plan. I figured if I were famous, they would have to take me. Fast-forward to now, and it's funny because I'm one of the bigger guys in the business as far as physicality. It's hilarious."

After working in WWE for 10 years, he decided to see what kind of name he could make for himself in other promotions. He spent some time in Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling before All Elite Wrestling became his home.

Cody has had a lot of special moments in AEW, such as facing his brother in one of the bloodiest matches in recent memory at Double or Nothing 2019 and winning the TNT Championship twice.

When asked about his favorite moments so far, he had two events in mind:

"One of them was the very first Dynamite when I was coming up on the Codyvator, the little elevator they have for me. I'm usually a master of all facets of what we are doing, but in that case, I felt completely out of control, and it was Brandi standing next to me saying, 'Can you believe this?' The next thing I know, we have already cleared the stage and are in the ring in front of 14,000 fans.

"Juxtapose that with the moment of me standing in front of absolutely nobody at the start of the pandemic talking to the hard cam almost like it was a State of the Union. The reason I love those two moments is because the heart of the show never changed. We have never thought of any of the shows we are doing as a soft show. Every show aims to be better than the week before, even with long-term booking in mind. That's what makes me proud and lets me know we are going to be around for years and years to come."

This weekend, Cody will battle Allin for the TNT title. These two have had three matches before Full Gear. Two of them have ended with The American Nightmare victorious, and the other was a draw.

While they have served as rivals most of the time, Cody was instrumental in bringing him into the company.

"I watched him wrestle Ethan Page at EVOLVE and I just knew there was something special about him," Rhodes said. "His business demeanor is nothing to write home about. He doesn't wear a suit, he doesn't interview well and he's a little bit closed off, but that is never a reason not to consider somebody. He is very special. There was such a curiosity but also trepidation about him here that the only way I could agree to get him on the show was if I wrestled him myself. I did, and it was great."

When he left WWE, Cody famously created a list of people he wanted to wrestle. He was able to cross most of those names off and has since begun thinking about whom he wants to face in AEW.

"Angelico from TH2 is someone I want to test myself against," Rhodes said. "I've never actually had a singles match with 'Hangman' Adam Page. I think a match we wanted to happen so many times but was hurt by the pandemic was Pac. We've both grown so much from Neville and Stardust and to be able to show the world that would be really special."

In addition to wrestling and working behind the scenes, Cody has also done some acting, most notably on television. He had a one-episode guest spot on the Syfy show Warehouse 13, but his most famous non-wrestling role was as Derek Sampson on Arrow.

Cody had a few fight scenes with star Stephen Amell, but their relationship did not end there. They have also worked together in both WWE and at the All In PPV, where Amell faced Christopher Daniels.

Now, Amell is about to feature in a Starz series, titled Heels, about the pro wrestling industry. He will portray one of two brothers who grew up in a pro wrestling family in Georgia, a story that is very similar to Cody's. 

"I think everyone I know in Hollywood sent me the treatment for Heels," Rhodes said. "If you know anything about two brothers from a wrestling family in Georgia, it starts to sound very familiar. I think anything Stephen touches turns to gold. He was an inspiration to me when I got to see him on Arrow. When he came to work with us at All In and prior to that in WWE, he came in with his ears open and he was exposed to this new bubble.

"I will always be there if he needs help. I love wrestling, and I would love for it to be presented the way it really is. It's special to a lot of people, and if you do a show about wrestling and don't get the wrestling right, you might not get the audience. I think if anyone can do it, Stephen can."

The American Nightmare continues to have the itch to act, but that is not his only goal. In addition to wanting to help grow AEW, the field of politics is something he has his eye on as a potential career when he eventually retires. 

A few other wrestlers have dipped their toes into the pool of politics before; Jesse Ventura was the governor of Minnesota, and Glenn "Kane" Jacobs is the current mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. 

"I have a ton of desire to do more acting so long as it doesn't conflict with my job here," Rhodes said. "I'm 35, and I said I only wanted to wrestle for five more years. I have political aspirations. I would love to run for the Senate in the great state of Georgia. I want to help with the sphere of influence I have created. I always say if you do the work, it will pay off. That is why I love Brandi. She is so incredibly hardworking, and we have to remind each other to be present often, but when we are it's very special."

With a packed lineup and several big matches, Full Gear may be the most important AEW PPV to date. We will get the payoff to a few major storylines and see the show continue to drive others. When asked to sum up his thoughts on Full Gear and why people should tune in, Cody had this to say:

"I think this could end up being the PPV that defines us. The Bucks vs. FTR is a match that has been building for many years. Page and Omega are two of the best bell-to-bell wrestlers ever. You have Jon Moxley with Eddie Kingston. You have John Silver vs. Orange Cassidy for that meta-loving fan. I think everyone has the intention of stealing the show.

"With everything that is going on, you are guaranteed some sort of satisfaction. The one thing pro wrestling can always provide, which sports like boxing and MMA can't always provide, is a payoff to what we are doing. You will absolutely fall in love with somebody. You don't have to love wrestling, but there will be a wrestler that you will fall in love with and you should absolutely give it a try."

When Jon Moxley chose not to re-sign with WWE in 2019, he instantly became the hottest free agent in professional wrestling. In addition to working with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, Moxley has called All Elite Wrestling his home since he debuted at Double or Nothing 2019.

He quickly rose through the ranks to become one of AEW's most popular stars before winning the World Heavyweight Championship at AEW Revolution on February 29. Moxley spoke with Bleacher Report about his career, goals and what it's like working with All Elite Wrestling. 

As a young boy growing up in Cincinnati, Moxley always had his eye set on a career in the ring. Like many fans, his first taste of pro wrestling was from the then-WWF, but if you have seen him wrestle, it's clear he was also heavily influenced by the Superstars of Extreme Championship Wrestling. 

"When I was young, the kids in the apartment below me had action figures and wrestling pay-per-views. I can't remember a time when wrestling wasn't the thing I liked. It was simple superhero-come-to-life stuff on TV. Bret Hart was my guy when I was a kid. In the '90s, he was the guy on top. I fell in love with ECW when I was a teenager. It was always kind of the thing that dominated my interest. I took a test one time in junior high where you find out what your career aptitude is, and it said I should be a forest firefighter. By the time I was 16 or 17, I was already selling popcorn, sweeping floors and setting up the ring. I had my first match when I was 18."

Back before the internet was as much a part of our lives as it is today, learning how to be a pro wrestler was something of a mystery to young fans. We now know there are wrestling schools all over the country, but Moxley found out completely by happenstance. 

"I didn't know how to go about it. It was like a mystery back then of 'How do I become a pro wrestler?' It's kind of like how do you become a sword swallower? I found out about a wrestling school by dumb luck. It happened over in Cincinnati. I saw a flyer for a show at a flea market and on the back was an ad for Les Thatcher's pro wrestling school, and I was like, 'Ding ding ding! That's how you become a pro wrestler, you go to wrestling school.' There was no turning back for me once I saw a pathway."

While pro wrestling has always been his main focus, Moxley also has a few movie credits to his name. His first acting gig outside the ring in the WWE Studios film, 12 Rounds 3: Lockdown. More recently, Moxley filmed a movie called Cagefighter: Worlds Collide, but don't expect to see him pursuing roles on a regular basis.

"We only get one life, and if you get the chance to experience something, you should do it. Just recently I did a movie called Cagefighter that had a limited release and is coming out in the U.S. in October. I like wrestling the most. I don't have any aspirations to take over Hollywood or be the next Rock or John Cena. That being said, if Marvel called and said 'Do you want to be in the next Avengers or be Batman' I would be like 'Hell yeah, sign me up.' It's fun, it's a challenge and it's a different craft. Unless it was some huge once–in–a–lifetime opportunity, if you offer me a role that requires me to take nine months off where I can't wrestle, I am not going to do it."

A veteran of over 16 years, Moxley still sees himself competing for quite some time before he decides to hang up his boots."I'd like to wrestle until I am in my 50s, but it can end at any time. I don't want to spend nine months filming a movie when I could have been having matches. I want to do as much wrestling as I can while I have that window of time. Acting could be a thing for later."

Mox will turn 35 in December, so he is hoping to have at least another 15-20 years in this business. We have seen some wrestlers continue into their 60s, so if he keeps himself healthy, it's likely he will be a big part of the business for a long time. 

After spending some time on the indie scene, Moxley spent eight years working for WWE and its developmental territories, so he spent a long time doing things the WWE way. Now that he is with AEW, the world champion finds himself with more creative freedom to tell stories the way he wants to tell them.

"I'll talk on the phone with Tony Khan and we'll throw some ideas out. I'll talk to whoever I'm working with and we'll throw some ideas out. We'll get on a three-way call and just loosely talk out the next six weeks of a story, and when I show up, we do it. It doesn't get changed on the day of and nobody messes with it, not that I am above taking creative direction. Even the misses are fun when you're in control because it's part of a journey. When you try again, it's even more satisfying when you get it right. I want to keep pushing myself to be the best I can be every single time."

Like all wrestlers in AEW, Mox had to get used to fighting in front of zero fans for several months. AEW has since begun allowing in a limited number of fans in the upper area of the arena. For Mox, this is what he was trained for. 

"I was trained in the Thatcher way. It was old school. You over exaggerate and play to the last fan in the cheap seats. Now, everybody is in the cheap seats, so that training paid off. I am more worried about the people in the cheap seats than I am about the camera because they bought tickets and came with their family. It's important to me that they have a good show."

He has had a chance to wrestle a lot of new and familiar faces in AEW. He spent time in WWE with guys like Chris Jericho and Miro, but he is also getting the opportunity to work with young stars who are just starting to be successful in this business.

"I love getting to work with the young dudes who are in their 20s who are getting their first chance to be on national television. They're unencumbered and not being repackaged or told who they are, so they are just going to keep getting better. Some of these guys are nuts and they have these crazy ideas and they push me to think of things in new ways. I don't go in there and go 'Let me tell you what we are going to do because I am more experienced.' I go 'What do you want to do? I'm old and slow so tell me your cool idea.' I am all about learning from the young guys because they have a different perspective than me."

"And then we have this incredible group of veterans like SCU. We have a legend in Chris Jericho, who I always learn from. And then, we have this group of guys who are in the prime of their career. We have people at every level, and it's a smorgasbord of guys to work with. It's endless opportunities of stories to tell. There is an endless sea of narrative possibilities, which is good because we have a lot of time to fill."

A lot of wrestlers are asked about their favorite match, but that is not such an easy decision for Mox after several years of having great performances. 

"Trying to pick your favorite matches is like trying to pick your favorite kid. You can't love one more than the other, and you love them for different reasons. The bit I got to do with Darby Allin was great because I had this picture painted in my head. I had that story in my head for months and it basically came off exactly how I had pictured it in my mind. To be able to create that moment exactly how I had envisioned it was the most satisfying feeling in the world."

While he doesn't have one match that stands out above the rest, Moxley did mention a few specific people he has enjoyed working with in AEW.

"The match with MJF also went exactly how I had pictured it. I have loved working with Brian Cage. I loved the whole thing with Jericho. I don't look at that as a match. I look at it as a whole eight-week story."

"I looked at myself as a bad guy in AEW. For those first few months, I acted like a bad guy. I didn't expect to be a good guy again. I was being ambiguous and just taking out everybody until I went after Chris. Then I was firmly planted on the good guy side. And then it turned into maybe I was going to join the Inner Circle, then I stole his car, he stabbed my eye out, so I had to stab his friend's eye out. And then we get to the PPV and I get my match with him. I look at all of that as one piece of work, the Jericho story. That was awesome. Each story is kind of like a painting I am hanging on my wall. I don't know how much longer I get to paint before the wheels fall off of this thing. The more paintings I can paint, the better."

Being a pro wrestler means different things to different people. Some view it as a stepping stone toward Hollywood or as a way to make money, but Moxley is all about the rush of adrenaline that comes with performing in front of thousands of fans and the satisfaction of telling a unique story.

"I love that feeling after a match of being totally drained and exhausted and being fulfilled creatively. That's why I do this at this point. I'm blessed to be able to make a living, but I don't do this for money. My goal is not to get more famous. I've had a taste of fame and I could take it or leave it. I do this for that feeling at the end of the night when I am all bloody and sweaty thinking, 'That was awesome.' That adrenaline rush of being on live TV, telling a story and feeling the fans going on a ride with you is why I do it."

A lot of athletes spend their downtime resting. Many pro athletes have started their own Twitch and YouTube channels based around video games. Moxley prefers to spend his time training and doing things that take him outside of the house.

"My biggest problem is that I don't like video games. That's what I should do, but my problem is all of my hobbies are physical things. I like mountain biking, hiking, jiu-jitsu. I like all of these things that beat your body up. That's how I relax. I like getting outdoors."

A lot of pro wrestlers have used social media with great results. Stars like Matt Cardona and Matt Hardy are especially proficient at using things like Twitter and YouTube for their benefit, but the AEW champ is not the biggest fan of social media.

"I don't have Twitter downloaded on my phone. I was coming out of a hotel the other day and I had my phone in my back pocket and I sent out a tweet. I butt-dialed a tweet. It was something innocuous like an MMA article but it could have been anything. I could have ended my career with a butt dial. So I uninstalled it. People get addicted to their phones and the virtual world. I highly recommend people go for a walk in a park or the woods. It clears your head and it's a good way to spend an afternoon. You would be surprised how quickly problems resolve themselves in your head when you're out in nature."

If you ask a lot of young wrestlers what their ultimate goal is, they will tell you it is to win a world title. Moxley has been there and done that, so for him, belts are storytelling devices that allow him to create the best possible journey for the fans. 

"This isn't like a regular sport where I would say, 'OK, my goal is to win the Olympic gold medal.' Whereas with us, [titles] are storytelling devices. You can't have goals like winning The Royal Rumble because you don't decide that. Somebody with a pencil decides that. For me, it's about telling the best stories that I can because it's the most satisfying feeling in the world when you nail a promo. AEW is the perfect place for me because I get to do what I want to do."

Other Superstars like Matt Hardy have also lauded AEW for giving them the opportunity to be the character they envisioned for themselves. When a wrestler gets to have fun and be who they want to be, it leads to the crowd being able to connect with them on a deeper level than if they were playing a gimmick like The Undertaker or Doink the Clown, not that those characters weren't great. 

While he has an eye on the future, Moxley is still living in the now. He has considered options for what he can do after his career in the ring is over, but for the time being, he is going to continue doing what he does best for as long as his body will allow.

"I want to ride this for as long as I can even if it comes down to having to take longer periods of time off. If it gets down to where I can only wrestle one match a year like The Undertaker, then so be it. I could totally see myself being in a producer or coach role. I could see myself being a trainer or booker. I probably won't know until that day comes, but there is also a good chance that one day I am just going to be gone and you will never see me again. But wherever I'm at, I'll be all good, so don't worry about it."

"I'm the luckiest guy in the world because I get to do the thing that I like as a living and got to turn it into a career. It's really cool."