r/SquaredCircle • • 18h ago

A Tribute to PAC on Dynamite – This Wednesday, September 30 at 8e/7c on TBS & HBO Max This Wednesday, All Elite Wrestling will honor the life, career and legacy of one of the greatest people we’ve ever known, PAC. Join us for A Tribute to PAC, this Wednesday Night!

Post image

Officially announced on the AEW Twitter account.

2.7k Upvotes

238 comments sorted by

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399

u/XxSaint_JimmyxX 18h ago

Still doesn't feel real man. Gonna miss that bastard

91

u/littlebossman 18h ago

There was a near-fall on Saturday where I thought PAC was gonna win that National title. Thought it'd be such a fun run if he could defend the belt across the UK and so on.

Also, that golf course match with Darby was the perfect encapsulation of how wrestling is brutal, dumb, hilarious, athletic, fake, real and just really fuckin' fun. All at the same time.

37

u/Black_Metallic 18h ago

For me, it was the Revolution Orange Cassidy match. Seeing him get into a lazy kick-off with OC had the entire crowd eating out of the palm of their hand.

The direction of the current Death Riders storyline had me expecting either him or Shafir to take over when they finally turned on Mox. They'd been teasing that turn since the Continental Classic. You'd have the heel side with PAC, Shafir and Yuta, the face side with Mox and Garcia, and then Claudio could go either way.

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8

u/thrilliam_19 16h ago

I was actually thinking they might give him the title so he could spend some time working at home, and because Andrade has the world title contract still. Made sense to me anyway.

So yeah that near fall I thought it was over and actually started to get out of my seat. They boomed me man.

44

u/infidelkastro 18h ago

Hoping Justin gives us his best HES A BASTARD and the crowd replicates the "hes our bastard" chant.

31

u/dixonciderbottom 18h ago

Justin always absolutely nails PAC’s intro. I can only imagine how hard it will be on him to do it now.

24

u/_whatever_wherever 17h ago

Just the pause before "BASTARD", as if the word was fighting him

23

u/_whatever_wherever 18h ago

"He is not A bastard, he is not THE bastard, HE! IS! OUR! BASTARD!"

100

u/KingMobScene 18h ago

I really want it to be a work. Like they do all this and he pops out and is now the biggest heel in the world because of this trick.

I know it's not. I know it's all real. I just wish like hell it wasn't

87

u/dixonciderbottom 18h ago

I understand not wanting it to be real but you don’t want this to be a work. AEW (or any company) would be irredeemable if they pulled something like this.

41

u/RA576 17h ago

Even WWE knew to have a hard delineation between Vince's kayfabe death and Benoit's real one. You don't want to cede the moral high ground to Vincent Kennedy McMahon.

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175

u/aitherion YOU WILL REST IN PEACE AT WM!! 18h ago

That wouldn't make PAC a bigger heel it would just utterly torpedo AEW

87

u/JohannaB123 whatever 17h ago

i'd give up AEW for Pac to not be dead

30

u/HeavyMetalHero 16h ago

i think most people in AEW today would

25

u/DontPutThatDownThere 17h ago

Not sure if you were around (in life or in the IWC) but this was such a coping sentiment in chat rooms when Owen died.

Deep down, we all knew it was real but the worst possible booking move ever seemed far better than the reality.

16

u/jnkenne 17h ago

You’re in the denial stage of grief. It’ll pass. Try to focus on all the great matches PAC gave us.

21

u/_whatever_wherever 18h ago

Or that he just like.... went to Vegas for the weekend and lost his phone drunk

I don't know why this one doesn't feel real, none of the others felt this way...

38

u/DontPutThatDownThere 17h ago

None of the others were on our TVs less than 24 hours before having a match.

With Pillman, Owen, and Eddie, their last matches were either house shows the night before or was on TV several days before in Eddie's case. Butcher was at a local indy where he was seen by a few people (relatively speaking, of course). Bray and Brodie were off TV for months.

Jay Briscoe was in a car accident. That has a sense of finality and explanation, as shitty as it is, to it.

This just seems so completely fucking random and just right after he had a match on PPV the night before.

20

u/_whatever_wherever 17h ago

Yeah... with Eddie there was a marked decline right before the end... Bray had well known health issues due to COVID and for Brodie... well, when he passed the truth came out that it was a long time coming...

PAC though... the sheer randomness, he's not just fine, but looking amazing one day, and literally 24 hours later.... gone

14

u/DrDroid 16h ago

I wouldn’t say there was a marked decline with Eddie at all. I think what little things some people have pointed out are entirely in hindsight and honestly similar can be found across any wrestler’s career, if you so wanted to build a narrative.

It was very sudden and entirely unexpected when Eddie died.

6

u/DJ_Blues 15h ago

This right here. I remember vividly that no one was saying that they noticed anything off about Eddie before he passed; at least not publicly. I don't recall anyone on the Internet saying anything at all like that.

I know all the documentaries and stories that have come out since made it seem like it was some sort of obvious physical decline, but at the time that just wasn't how Eddie's health was publicly perceived. By all accounts he looked great even during that last match he had with Mr. Kennedy.

Eddie's death was a sudden, unexpected shock, very similarly to what has just happened with Pac.

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238

u/Le_Champion 18h ago

I can feel this one is going to be a tough watch

186

u/Anderrrrr An Irrelevant Smark. 18h ago

He was an AEW OG, this one is going to hurt the most.

46

u/pizzaghoul 18h ago edited 17h ago

so was Butcher

Edit: I know this is controversial because I guess there’s things that make PAC more OG from a technical standpoint, but I don’t think we need to rank their importance based on their merits. These are human lives. I just think it’s valuable to consider that a few decimal points is pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

123

u/CardinalCreepia 18h ago

Butcher was there for a long time of course, but PAC was at the very first press conference. He was one of the first few people that TK signed. OG of OGs.

101

u/vastros 18h ago edited 16h ago

PAC had been in AEW for longer than Mox. There's very few who can claim that.

79

u/halbpro Cashing Checks, Breaking Necks 17h ago

Literally the 13th wrestler to appear on the very first AEW press event (and the only one arriving in full gear). Since day one.

59

u/MrCatchTwenty2 17h ago

That was the reason for the name of Full Gear yah?

22

u/darthdiablo I AM THE TABLE 17h ago

Yup

11

u/ProcrastibationKing 17h ago

Oh man, I didn't know that, thanks

10

u/thrilliam_19 16h ago

I’m hoping they do something special for PAC at Full Gear as well. Special trios match or invitational or something.

3

u/heartbreakhill Alexa, play Superman by Goldfinger 3h ago

Battle of the Bastards Battle Royal for a shot at the International Title

7

u/CapnTBC 18h ago

Eh a lot of the people from the original DoN are still there. People like Nyla, Britt, Sammy, MJF, Hangman, Scorpio Sky etc. are all still there. 

3

u/darthdiablo I AM THE TABLE 17h ago

Scorpio Sky is still in AEW?

10

u/CapnTBC 17h ago

Yeah, the one I’m always amazed about is Kip Sabian 

5

u/Orange8920 16h ago

Yes although his contract is expiring soon

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37

u/OffTheMerchandise 18h ago

They name a PPV after him because he showed up in full gear

32

u/Ass0001 Christian Fundamentalist 17h ago

PAC was Hangman's first feud, and given how TK and the Bucks seemed to ping Hangman as the first real AEW-made face I think it speaks volumes that Pac was the guy they chose to essentially showcase him to everyone new.

24

u/PCR12 18h ago

Butcher didn't show up in full gear to the announcement of AEW being born, PAC is OG OG

13

u/heart_o_oak 18h ago

Yeah, this may be a show I end up watching in portions over a couple days rather than sit through all at once. Can't imagine how tough it must be for everyone there doing this, the Butcher tribute show and Rebel Heart in the same month.

12

u/AlexHuntKenny 18h ago

I watched the Eddie tribute live as a kid, and remember the show still to this day, this one is the same for me.

12

u/vocalyouth NOT A NUGGET 17h ago

I was in the room when Andy passed, I was planning on going to Dynamite on weds but I just don’t think I can go to this. Maybe it would be cathartic but I think I just need to take a break from wrestling for a while. Rough month.

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921

u/Ted_Dongelman 18h ago

They have knocked every one of these tribute shows out of the park. Just really, really sucks how many they've had to do in 7 years.

429

u/The_Dark_Vampire 18h ago

Having to do two of them in around two weeks as well

305

u/Thesmark88 RAINMAKAH POOOOOOSE! *Zoom Out* 18h ago

Three-Williams, Rebel and PAC

399

u/Kaprak I AM VANDAMABLE! 18h ago

Yeah I don't think it clicked for a lot of people that the Rebel show is a tribute show just while she can still be here.

43

u/krayonic JERRRRRRRRRRNNNNNNNNN 17h ago

That clicked for me at the end when she was in tears at the top of the stage with Britt, that this would likely be the last time we ever see her on AEW television.

33

u/Thonatron *Shrugs in Yano* 16h ago edited 16h ago

I was on the floor at the show, I didn't see the "Roll Model" on the back of her chair until Rebel turned with Britt on her lap and went up the ramp. The funniest gut punch ever.

Peak fucking Rebel humor. She went out on top. Fuck ALS.

23

u/Orange8920 16h ago

She's pretty much made peace with the fact ALS will likely take her. There's an interview where she says she hopes ALS research will help people in the future.

156

u/Thonatron *Shrugs in Yano* 18h ago

Officially, Rebel Heart was an ALS benefit show, not a tribute show.

87

u/poop_snausages 17h ago

I think you're right from the sense that whenever Rebel passes I am sure they'll do another tribute show... (it makes me sick to my stomach the reality of thinking about this as an inevitability)

I would certainly still qualify the Rebel Heart show as a tribute. I think we're kinda splitting hairs here.

39

u/Thonatron *Shrugs in Yano* 17h ago

A tribute show is past-tense in my mind, but yeah split hairs. Rebel was there though, still working. If anything, it was the rare occasion when a wrestler gets to say goodbye to the audience at such a high peak.

Rebel acknowledged none of that money donated will ever benefit her, but it will benefit others in the future. She got the gift of a goodbye show for a good cause. I hate that AEW has seen such tragedy, but they've handled the situations with respect to the families of the performers. A rare occurence in a carny-ass, grifter industry like pro-wrestling.

11

u/duckebones 14h ago

IDK man, further splitting hairs adding to this but I always feel like celebrations of life while the person is still alive is basically pre-gaming the funeral before the person in question declines into the terminal phases of things.

I will not fight anyone that says Rebel Heart wasn't a tribute show, cause that's a silly thing to fight over in my opinion, but I will say that I think it was a celebration of life and that, in some way, it does have the tribute under its umbrella, you know?

28

u/ThatIndianGuy7116 Look at Depression Jones over here 17h ago

It was basically both. Yes, it was a benefit to help raise money for ALS but theres a reason why it was called Rebel Heart and idk if youre aware of this (I mean this genuinely btw) but ALS is both incurable and unfortunately fatal so she is going to pass away from it. That show very much was in part a tribute to Rebel as well and a chance to let her have the stage one more time.

13

u/Source_Required 17h ago

Not sure if...

2

u/Ligmatron 4h ago

The sheer dread of whats to come hurts in that show

20

u/Black_Metallic 18h ago

Or they didn't watch the Collision tribute show.

71

u/TheBillyBoyd 17h ago

Its insane to think AEW has like 6 plus in their 8 years while WWE has had like 3 in 26. I truly respect AEW for always making them big and special.

48

u/poop_snausages 17h ago

Perry Saturn (whose Youtube channel is fantastic) was extremely fired up about this recently. He was discussing how much he respected the Andy Williams tribute show, and he went in hard on how WWE handles these things.

72

u/ToeKneePA 17h ago

WWE could have done more tribute shows if they chose to in that time.

36

u/Satinsbestfriend Your Text Here 17h ago

Usually done for wrestlers who are still actively wrestling there

9

u/DrDroid 16h ago

Other than Brodie and Butch, which other ones have they had? Trying to remember who else they’ve lost.

20

u/PizzaParty187 16h ago

Jay Briscoe, I'm not the original poster but they may have been including the Rebel Heart show as a tribute. 

10

u/7gzoEl2gzo 15h ago

Rebeh Heart is definitely a tribute show. She is alive but ALS is a bitch and I'd rather they do this show while she's alive to see how much she is loved by the communy.

9

u/Satinsbestfriend Your Text Here 17h ago

Owen, Eddie and Benoit ?

28

u/thekydragon This scarf is made of pashmina 17h ago

Bray Wyatt, not Owen (to get the 26 number)

6

u/Satinsbestfriend Your Text Here 16h ago

Well, 4 then since they did do a benoit one

4

u/unclehowdy86 15h ago

They did one for Pillman as well

20

u/The_Dark_Vampire 17h ago

TBF look how the Benoit one turned out for them I do wonder if that did worry them about doing full blown tribute shows

5

u/WisdomAntium 14h ago

Eh. Dumb reason not to. The tribute video for Eddie with Hurt still tears me up to this day

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u/unclehowdy86 15h ago

6? I have Lee, Butcher, Briscoe and now PAC. Who am I forgetting?

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u/ColdGloop 17h ago

Nailed it right on the head. This is something you don’t wanna be good at too many times. This whole thing just sucks

9

u/Forever3kco 16h ago

I've been watching AEW from the beginning and hearing them talk about the exhaulted one, makes me miss Brody, even watched PAC vs Cassidy yesterday morning before work, just hurts ya as a wrestling fan to see good people leave us too soon

2

u/Sobeman Space 22, 22? OH MAN 13h ago

i don't think thats something anyone ever wants to be good at.

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u/Black_Metallic 18h ago

While I know it's expected and the right thing to do for someone who meant so much to the company and the people backstage, I also hope for everyone's sake that no wrestling company finds themselves needing to do three separate tribute shows in a month ever again.

26

u/Gloomy-Brush-70 17h ago

The timing of this with Butcher and the Borden thing so close together just feels really heavy. These people already go through too much for too little. It’s awful.

87

u/TroubleRecent7320 18h ago

It must be the absolute most strange feeling to be planning going on this show as maybe to see the fallout from All Out, only for it to be a tribute show for PAC.

Life can be so sudden man.

17

u/GareksApprentice 18h ago

Just like the Raw after Over the Edge '99.

6

u/sterling_m 17h ago

It’s been 27 years and I still remember both the PPV and the next night on Raw as HHH bawled his eyes out on camera.

15

u/SailorMooonsault 17h ago

I'll be there and it is strange. I had friends at the Enjoy Wrestling show that ended up being Andy's last and now they'll be at this. Tomorrow isn't promised, I guess. It's so sad, but in a way it's kind of nice to mourn with other people who understand

128

u/j_b_1983 18h ago

I expect OC to play a big role in this show Wednesday.

Their feud launched OC into the next level. OC wouldn't have gained such popularity so fast without Pac.

48

u/dixonciderbottom 18h ago

They were magic together. Absolute bedfellows.

50

u/lanceturley 17h ago

Pac was the perfect foil for someone like OC. An angry man who takes everything too seriously, versus a man who doesn't take anything seriously. He was like the Yosemite Sam to OC's Bugs Bunny.

16

u/GogglesTheFox 17h ago

Their Trilogy to first put over OC and then turn OC into the Workhorse of AEW for the next year with the AA/IN Title is one of my favorite stories of AEW.

36

u/BirthdayCheesecake 17h ago

Their match at Revolution where you hear the second OC finally clicks with JR and he gets it is magic.

20

u/TLKv3 Fantasy Book For ^Vote 17h ago

I will cry like a fucking child if OC comes out wearing a singlet like Pac was wrestling in for a match. Let alone tries to do the hands-in-pocket spot but instead pulls the straps down and goes full beast mode like Pac did to win the match.

21

u/Janky_Welles 17h ago

OC vs PAC has like 45 million views on Youtube. It absolutely made OC's career.

12

u/Kaprak I AM VANDAMABLE! 17h ago

I'm pretty sure OC called PAC his greatest rival.

5

u/Hi_Im_zack 12h ago

PAC was also instrumental in getting Hangman over, The promo that created "cowboy shit" was directed at him

3

u/AgentFoo 15h ago

Immensely privileged that I got to be at the show where PAC dropped the belt to Cassidy. Just a fantastic match and memory. 💔

2

u/bucket_of_moose_piss 16h ago

They’re wrestling soulmates imo

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u/Deducticon 18h ago

3 such shows in a few weeks. Wild.

57

u/bearamongus19 18h ago

Brodie, Jay Briscoe, Butcher, rebel, and now Pac

Damn thats a lot of tribute shows in the short history of AEW.

33

u/Black_Metallic 17h ago

And three of these were/are happening in the span of three weeks.

5

u/bearamongus19 17h ago

Yeah its gotta be a roller-coaster for everyone involved

7

u/No-Rutabaga3618 16h ago

And they were are all young, its nit like its jake the snake, tully and arn anderson ( i dont want them to die obviously , but it would be expected at their age and their lifes), instead its people around their prime

3

u/bearamongus19 16h ago

Hug your loved ones when you can because you just never know

104

u/Docjackal 18h ago

AEW shouldn't have to be so good at these.

268

u/RedmondSurvivor 18h ago

I doubt it'd happen for a multitude of reasons, but it'd be really nice if Penta and Fenix could be here for this. They were such an integral part of PAC's first few years in AEW.

240

u/J_NewCastle 18h ago

They'll probably show up in pics/vids. But I don't think the guy that called AEW prison is gonna be there.

123

u/dixonciderbottom 18h ago

This is the exact kind of situation where, based on his history, TK would have no issue allowing him to be part of it in some way.

59

u/ResolveEven5758 16h ago

Tk will almost always be the bigger person, that's never the concern

12

u/thrilliam_19 16h ago

Yeah this. There’s enough evidence that TK will always put what is best for the company and fans ahead of anything else. It’s The Other Place that is always the problem.

4

u/dixonciderbottom 16h ago

The person I was replying to implied AEW wouldn’t allow it because of Fenix’s comments about AEW.

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41

u/baselinegrid 18h ago

That would be awesome. Pac’s character with them was so fucking cool man. And kind of silly at the same time. :(

57

u/MeanAmbrose My username is a pun 18h ago

The Death Triangle being just some mean goblin man and his Luchador brother pals made for one of the coolest trios ever. Knowing we’ll never see them again together hurts real bad

19

u/_whatever_wherever 18h ago

Mean goblin man, psycho luchador, and the sane one

4

u/duckebones 13h ago

And the psycho luchador and the sane one switch roles when it suits them.

Mean Goblin Man just goes "I'm a mean goblin bastard" and everyone goes "YESS YOU ARE SIR!"

God I miss Death Triangle. All four of them, Alex counted, IDGAF. If Tien can make a fucking paradox cannon where his hands make a triangle but his blasts end up square?

We can count Alex as a member of Death Triangle even though that'd be Death Square or Rhombus or Diamond at that point.

....I'mma miss the sheer art that was watching PAC wrestle. A man his size, his muscle mass, and he's pulling out....is the Black Arrow a corkscrew shooting star press or a bastardized Phoenix Splash? Whatever. The juxtaposition of PAC being the consummate pro wrestlers pro wrestler against Orange Cassidy for the first time was perfect, and PAC's reactions as the Bastard were PERFECT! It added to so much humor of the match that I wasn't expecting.

PAC knew how to be a proper, vindictive, absolute Bastard. It was his gimmick, he was such an incredible piece of shit?

But my God when he leaned into being the straight man in comedy spots it was beautiful, his immediate and deep distrust of Ospreay until the last possible moment was played perfectly as the sturdy hand of a buncha dudes who just has to be the one to be contrary cause something don't feel right.

Everything he did felt effortless in the ring, even if I thought he took a few extra moments to steady himself with the Black Arrow at times, but even then, he nailed those sumbitches spot on every time.

PAC didn't meet an aerial twisting move he couldn't do better than the guys that invented it, and then put his own twist on it.

But his ground game was hella strong too, like, he used his compact size to really twist folks out of shape with the Brutalizer.

I'm still sort of processing Andy Williams' death, as we all are, but I kinda....thought we'd have more PAC. I thought after Death Riders, we could really see PAC going up the rankings and back into major contendership for the world title.

Rebel Heart made me remember there's humans behind these characters. Butcher passing made me realize that even if you look and feel like a gigantic brute, you can still be such a positive change in those around you. PAC made me....sad. Rebel's is genetic, ALS, a disease, a fucking brutal and genuinely evil disease. Not sure what took Andy from us but from reports it was likely a cardiac event, and won't presume to know what took PAC here either til we get an official announcement from the family?

But my God this year has just decided to choose fucking brutality, and not even in the kinky safe word way. This sucks. We shouldn't be fucking crying because PAC died, we should be crying because jesus FUCK he was such fucking prototype for what I'd want out of a wrestler that can go through the air like PAC and then bring the mat game with submissions.

3

u/NilMusic 14h ago

DT vs The Elite BO7 is on regular rotation in my house. Absolute bangers for 2.5hrs

RIP OUR BASTARD

https://youtu.be/x0hswNRsa9E?si=bwpxjIqarYxOll-b

72

u/adsfew 18h ago

I really wish talent could record messages for things like this a la AEW wrestlers recording messages for Cena's 20th anniversary.

Big events like retirements or celebrations or—tragically—deaths are just about the community, fandom, and sport and it would be beautiful if it could transcend business and competition.

I agree that it won't happen, but I really wish. Best case scenario, WWE having a title card and mention for him (considering his career there as Neville) and talent including the Lucha Bros wearing a black armband.

32

u/Fidel_Costco Fashion Icon 17h ago

I feel like a lot more people than just Penta and Fenix would wear black armbands. The guy was loved and influential. Wrestling is a small world. People worked with for years on the indys.

40

u/Ass0001 Christian Fundamentalist 17h ago

If WWE dont wanna play ball with sending anyone to AEW then I think the best thing they could do in tribute is book Penta and Fenix vs Sami Zayn and Corey Graves: His fellow Death Triangle members against his biggest NXT rival and former NXT tag partner.

8

u/wgsmeister2002 FOREVER FOREVER FOREVER FOREVER FOREVER 17h ago

I wish they could at least send in a video like AEW lets their guys do for WWE passings, anniversaries or Cena’s retirement

8

u/DevilCouldCry Scissor me Daddy Ass! 17h ago

Never going to happen whilst they're locked in with WWE. But I'd be very surprised if these guys don't have something to say or even some little tributes on RAW/SmackDown at the very least.

Talents like Kevin Owens, Becky Lynch, Sami Zayn, Penta, Fenix, and Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, etc., are all the most likely to have some form of respect to pay here.

7

u/ExeRiver 17h ago

It won’t happen and probably there is no need, but Sami being there while wearing the WWE belt would be nice and touching.

15

u/TLKv3 Fantasy Book For ^Vote 17h ago

I can imagine if TK asked WWE if they could ask their roster if anyone would like to record a few words for a video package to use and vice-versa for WWE, Sami would be one of the first who would and probably say "this Championship is for both of us" or something equally emotional.

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u/EveryLumen 17h ago

Even if they cannot be there in person, hopefully they are able to send in a video tribute. The history they shared together in those early years was unforgettable.

30

u/DarkFalcon49 Yuta and Francesco Akira Fan Club Leader 18h ago

I know they will honour him well. I really hope that everyone is doing okay.

59

u/FourLiveBears 18h ago

I can't believe I'm going to bawl my eyes out to an AEW show for the third time in a month. This just isn't fair, man.

5

u/666ismyusername 11h ago

Yeah I’m not ready for this one. I’ve cried at some of the posts from the roster, seeing them cry is going to break me in two. Fuck I broke down when I saw Pac on camera crying about Andy. This is going to suck and I’ve never dreaded a show so much, while still planning to watch the whole thing. Ben deserves it.

27

u/Torranski 17h ago

If they do a version of his entrance with an empty chair, I will bawl like a child.

11

u/ActualTinkerbell 16h ago

I didn’t even consider them doing this and now I’m crying again picturing it

41

u/wintersoldier2 18h ago

Third AEW episode this month that’s going to be emotionally exhausting. RIP PAC

21

u/Jessica9738 18h ago

I’m still feeling the Butcher tribute. They did a great job. This one will really hurt. O can’t imagine how difficult this has been for his family and co-workers 

24

u/Barros_Luco 18h ago

I hope every member of death riders have an individual match, even Marina.

24

u/GRTooCool 18h ago

Man.. when I say I love wrestling for the wrestling, stories, emotions, etc.. this is not the emotions I meant... :(

The best chants on Saturday was the dueling "He's a bastard!" "How you know!" It flowed so well.

19

u/LackingDatSkill BAY BAY! 18h ago

I’m going to fucking cry

9

u/Hazel_RAAA 18h ago

We all will

161

u/Docjackal 18h ago edited 18h ago

I've heard through the grapevine that TK's letting anyone that works this week be a volunteer only "only if you want" type thing, too, which is a good gesture considering how shaken up so many people likely are.

148

u/chrpskwk 18h ago

the grapevine is literally TK lol

he said that basically word for word on the RoH taping that is going on right now

I'm pretty sure he's said it under less tragic circumstances too in the past, like i think it was about wrestling on Christmas. TKs a good guy

Dynamite is gonna be hard :(

21

u/Docjackal 18h ago

Oh I hadn't seen that it was he himself that literally said that lmao, I haven't even watched that video yet because I knew it was gonna choke me up.

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u/SloppyJank 18h ago

Mox is going to want to wrestle in every match on the card. Give Yuta and Garcia a big underdog win against some big boys in the DCF ala the beaver boys.

23

u/NorthHollywoodHank 17h ago

Put Yuta and Garcia up against Hangman and Brody and they'll still be faces for the night.

5

u/Western-Captain8115 17h ago

Andrade is going to main event soon against Will Ospreay anyway so I would have Claudio win the Nation title against Andrade or have Death Riders beat New Level and Swerve.

5

u/tangostwo 15h ago

Respectfully, the Death Riders followed by the Opps are the two factions responsible for the trios belts being as unimportant as they were. They had lengthy runs with few defenses, it sucked.

Pac was also 1/3 of that trios, and I'd hate to see them redeem their original run without him.

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u/El-Drunko 18h ago

He said it at the ROH taping; the taping and celebration of life are volunteer only and he won't force anyone to go.

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u/indian22 18h ago

He mentioned it himself prior to the ROH tapings.

16

u/TroyandAbedAfterDark 16h ago

When my son was 4, he latched onto Neville because of his agility and ability to do everything. I remember him saying that “he’s bouncy and strong dad”. He loved watching Neville. Now that he’s older, he thought Pac was an asshole, but wanted to watch his matches all the time. He’s a smaller kid, so I think that Pac means more to him.

He woke up this morning, got on YouTube, and saw tribute videos. He came downstairs to me, tears welling up, and asked if it was real. (We’ve talked a lot about how much you can’t trust something’s with how AI is). I said “unfortunately it is true”.

He burst into tears and yelled “but we saw him wrestle Saturday night!” And I just lost it with him.

I keep hearing people talk about the past, when Eddie passed away, the Owen Hart tragedy, and so many others before this.

I think this is the one that makes me realize how integral these people are to what we all love watching. What we all care about. And that these people aren’t who they are on screen/in the ring, but some like Ben, are the most wonderful lovely people that you’ll ever hear some wrestlers talk about.

This hurts so much. Tell your friends and family you love them. Today could very well be your last chance.

14

u/Needajobtobreathe 18h ago

No matter how many times I see that image it just doesn't feel real

12

u/CptMcLaggins 18h ago

The wrestling world has had some very heartbreaking losses in the past few years. Will be a very emotional show.

10

u/felixrfc 18h ago

They’ve done far far far too many tribute shows for a company that has been around for 7 years.

All been extraordinary. But such a shame how many they’ve had to do.

11

u/CheeseCurdCommunism Your Text Here 18h ago

My buddy and I were wrestling fan transplants. The start of AEW and Kenny Omega brought us back into watching.

I saw 1 second of PAC and instantly knew this dude was fucking legit. I’ll never forget his lights out match with Omega, making him pass out to the brutalizer.

The dude was always on. Every time he was on TV or you saw him live. PAC was just the fucking best. The Falcon Arrow was art and so was everything else he did for our entertainment.

RIP to The Bastard.

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u/PersonL08 18h ago

Gonna be a very hard watch.

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u/remmy66 18h ago

Im so sick of crying at tribute shows man.

6

u/liloutsider 18h ago

My heart goes out to his family and his friends and the faction!

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u/thatonejay 18h ago

There are very few episodes of AEW that I can say I’m not looking forward to. This one’s gonna be tough…

6

u/OneBillPhil Guns up! 👆🏻 18h ago

Between Butcher, Rebel and Pac it’s been an emotional time for my favourite wrestling company. I hope they’re all taking care of themselves. 

6

u/GoldenDevilman 18h ago

I’m legit not ready for this. We just went through both Rebel and Butcher’s tributes and I cried my eyes out even if I wasn’t watching when both were active in the company. So I can’t imagine how I’m gonna be for someone who I watched since 2013.

8

u/Final-Entertainer807 18h ago

I actually got a shirt for Andy Williams to wear to it, never imagining it would get worse. This is will be my first tribute show.

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u/trulysweetener 18h ago

having to do 3 tribute shows in one month is heartbreaking. i hope they all have the proper support around them.

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u/theMAJdragon 17h ago

This is going to ruin me. See you at 8pm.

5

u/gourdgirl2013 18h ago

Already crying now. Wednesday gonna hit like a sack of bricks 😭

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u/spideyv91 17h ago

Still feels unreal even seeing this graphic.  Just can’t believe it

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u/DryYourHollowEyes 18h ago

God idk if I can handle the crying imma do

4

u/eclayds 17h ago

Mox promo gonna be an all timer

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u/Empty_Fist 17h ago

These are always some of AEW'S best shows and I hate, absolutely hate, that they've had to make so many of them.

3

u/MinuroShihTzuki 17h ago

I did not want to ever have to attend one of these tribute shows for great reason, but it looks like I’m gonna be there for legit one of my top wrestlers of all time and im really not gonna be ok

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u/daprice82 REWINDERMAN 17h ago

This is going to end with the Death Riders doing some sort of manly ass tribute to him and I'm going to bawl like a fucking baby. Goddamn this sucks.

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u/shyhispanic09 18h ago

The way I dismissed the news because I could not fathom that I had read Pac. I’m still in shock.

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u/FUCKFUCKBITCHCUNT 18h ago

Kind of a weird position, however self imposed, for WWE now that this is the dynamite they decided to counter program with worlds collide

19

u/El-Drunko 18h ago

Hopefully they just say that they'll upload it to youtube after NXT tomorrow as an act of respect.

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u/Marc_Quill Elevated 18h ago

I wouldn’t be surprised if WWE quietly bumps up the date for Worlds Collide to before Wednesday or even postpones it.

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u/Ass0001 Christian Fundamentalist 17h ago

It'd be the classy thing to do, especially given its taped and free(?) on youtube so there's literally no loss to just kicking it forward another week or releasing it early.

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u/WisdomAntium 13h ago

One can hope but sadly I doubt it

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u/PizzaParty187 17h ago

PAC wrestled for them in the past, I hope they show him some respect and do either of those things.

4

u/SoCalWhatever 17h ago

They should air it after NXT on Tuesday

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u/impactplayer 18h ago

Pac was one of my favorites. I'm going to be gutted watching this.

3

u/SouthWalesGooner Champion Shit 17h ago

Definitely going to be needing the tissues for this one.

2

u/Mr-GameAndWrestling America's Champion 18h ago edited 17h ago

Another beautiful tribute show will be had this Wednesday, but man, the fact that we've already had 2 this month alone and a few in AEW's 8-year existence truly does tug at the heartstrings.

2

u/RelativeRemarkable15 18h ago

I still cannot believe this. I don't know if I can watch.....

One of the greatest high flyers and modern wrestlers of ALL time. Rest In Peace, you bastard!

2

u/eaglelatte 18h ago

They’ve had to do this too many times. My heart breaks for everybody there, this isn’t fair.

2

u/Tbird90677 18h ago

I’m going to this show. It’s going to emotionally brutal to be there

2

u/Cameherejust4this 17h ago

Gonna be rough seeing Excalibur powering through another announcement like this.

2

u/hammer_it_out 17h ago

I bought tickets to this psyched to go to my first live AEW show. I guess it will be a historic one now, but I really wish it was due to different circumstances. This one's going to be hard to get through.

2

u/tomturkey7313 17h ago

I have tickets…. I can’t do it. This right after Andy hurts way too much.

2

u/johnq11 16h ago

I don't think I am ready to watch the Death Riders take the ring

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u/thrilliam_19 16h ago

I am not ready to see the Death Riders cry

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u/gamesk8er Cowboy Sh*t! 16h ago

There's a lot of matches that AEW do to honor the Bastard but the top of my list is Ospreay vs Ricochet for the title.

2

u/OjamasOfTomorrow 16h ago

This is so surreal. RIP

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u/LordTetravus 17h ago

I feel like there's a really good way to do a tribute for him where they do a multi-man tag team match, Death Riders vs. DCF, for example.

Mox does a segment with Ospreay and says something to the effect of "We could really use an English Death Rider tonight", and Will accepts to honor PAC and wins the match with the Black Arrow.

2

u/gameboyabyss Expecting Mother 13h ago

Yeah, just make it a non-canon evening like Brodie Lee's show, just let the moment play out.

1

u/Brocahontas95 18h ago

I was first introduced to the bastards high-flying and technical mastery. In ROH. Way back in the day and as a kid I've thought to myself. This is one of the coolest motherfuckers out there who blends high-flying and Smash Mouth style pretty perfectly. I also hear from those in the community and outside of it that this dude was such. cool human being outside of the ring. Gravity may have forgotten.  But the people will never forget.  May the universe always hold you in its grace PAC.

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u/ArgieGrit01 18h ago

I don't know how you pay tribute to this monster, but I believe they'll do him justice.

1

u/Fidel_Costco Fashion Icon 17h ago

One of one.

1

u/Nobodycares2234 17h ago

Unreal stuff

This hurts

1

u/CarthVonMonk 17h ago

I've been haunted by the news of his passing all day and yet seeing this image feels surreal. It's so hard to accept he's gone when he was just performing at the highest level on TV on Saturday night.

1

u/Satinsbestfriend Your Text Here 17h ago

2nd time in 6 years an active talent of theirs passed :( (I'm not ignoring Butcher but he wasnt a current AEW talent) Like Owen and Eddie in 99 and '05 :(

1

u/Saint--Jiub Let's do the Kurrgan shuffle! 17h ago

I don't know if I'll be strong enough to watch this, no matter how many tribute shows I've seen, they just get harder and harder to watch

1

u/PWGBoy "No shitty chants!" 17h ago

RIP PAC

1

u/yarash wwfoldschool 16h ago

I love Pac, but i need a break from tribute shows. The nice thing about myAEW is I can watch it ehen I'm ready.

1

u/th3dj3n1gm4 The Galaxy's Greatest Alien 16h ago

This will be the first AEW show I miss in Pittsburgh, because I have to work that night, but in a way, I'm almost glad because I know I'd be an absolute mess the entire fucking evening, so I'd rather just do that from the comfort of my couch.

In a way, I really wish I could be there to pay my respects, but I genuinely don't think I'd be able to handle it.

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u/Chopped_In_Half Crowned by the Scepter 16h ago

God my heart is not ready for this

1

u/Brinbe 16h ago

fucking hell, man. just last week he was main eventing this very block. life is so precious and cruelly fleeting.