Last week AEW announced that PAC will be returning to AEW after a seven-month absence. PAC is a huge fan favourite and will no doubt receive a heroes welcome from the AEW fans.
The last time we saw PAC in an AEW ring, he was teaming with Fenix and Pentagon El Zero M as part of the Death Triangle, crushing Joey Janela and Private Party. Since then, the AEW landscape has changed drastically. There are new champions, new titles, new factions and fresh talent throughout the company.
As we have seen in recent months, wrestlers such as Brodie Lee, Lance Archer, Brian Cage, Ricky Starks and Eddie Kingston have exploded onto AEW Dynamite in prominent roles and positions.
Despite the influx of new talent, PAC is a wrestler that, simply put, cannot be ignored. His look and persona make him stand out, and his wrestling style makes him an exciting and unique performer. Now, this is all well and good, but his direction upon his return is vital. PAC must insert himself into a big angle with stakes and meaning to reinstate himself back to the top where he belongs.
AEW has been hyping his return all week, and the anticipation from the fans is building. PAC’s return has been long-awaited and must be executed just right.
In this article, we will be looking at five directions for PAC upon his return to AEW.
#5 PAC goes after Orange Cassidy
PAC and Orange Cassidy had a brief but exciting feud earlier this year, which culminated in a superb match at AEW Revolution on February 29th.
The feud started when Cassidy interrupted PAC during an interview just after he lost to Kenny Omega on Dynamite. Enraged and insulted by Cassidy, PAC got in his face and dropped him.
At the pay-per-view, PAC and Cassidy tore the roof off the arena with a match that made PAC look like a solid badass and Cassidy a megastar. Despite an epic crescendo to the match, their feud extended to their partners, Lucha Bros and Best Friends.
At the following show, PAC and The Lucha Brothers took out Orange Cassidy and Best Friends in a brutal post-match attack after PAC defeated Chuck Taylor. PAC grabbed the mic and announced that the trio would be known as the Death Triangle.
PAC formed the Death Triangle
The angle was put on hold due travel issues brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced AEW to change their programming drastically. Since then, Cassidy has become one of AEW’s brightest stars and he would be the perfect person for PAC to challenge upon his return.
#4 PAC to call out and go after Kenny Omega
PAC and Kenny Omega have a storied history in AEW. They have been involved in storylines and angles ever since the early days of AEW Dynamite, which gave fans three incredible matches.
Their first meeting was at the All Out pay-per-view, and it was a fantastic outing in which PAC won due to referee stoppage. Next, they faced off at the November 27th episode of AEW Dynamite, which Omega was victorious.
Drawn at one apiece, they met in a riveting 30-minute Iron Man match in February, which stole the show and gave Omega two victories over PAC which is a statistic that PAC will be looking to rectify.
Omega is currently occupied with the AEW World Championship tournament and will face “Hangman” Adam Page in the finals at Full Gear on November 7th.
To attack Omega in such fashion would be the perfect time for PAC to exact his revenge on Omega and cost him his chance at the AEW title. An action such as this would reignite their feud and two of the best wrestlers in the world would get to face off once again.
#3 PAC challenges for the TNT Championship
What better way for PAC to return and stake his interest in the company's newest title, the TNT Championship, and put the entire company on notice in the process.
Since the title’s inception, it has been pushed as the “workhorse” title due to Cody’s weekly open challenge. Cody tirelessly defended the championship against all comers in excellent matches week in, week out.
PAC is yet to hold gold in AEW
PAC is a performer of the highest standard and can have an excellent match with anyone. Therefore it doesn’t matter who the TNT Champion is, PAC will push them to their limit and take their title from them in the process.
The TNT Championship is up for grabs at Full Gear on November 7th when Cody defends it against Darby Allin.
PAC has faced and defeated Allin previously but he has never faced Cody in the ring. But regardless of who walks out of the pay-per-view as the victor, PAC would cause any champion to be on constant alert.
#2 PAC calls out Eddie Kingston and gets the Death Triangle back together
Right before COVID related travel restrictions, PAC formed a deadly trio with the Lucha Bros, Fenix and Penta Zero M, known as The Death Triangle. The trio was a force to be reckoned with, but they were unable to really get going and the faction was cut short as the global pandemic took hold.
With just one match under their belt as a collective, we only got a glimpse of what havoc they were about to unleash throughout AEW.
In PAC's absence, a certain Eddy Kingston has entered the battlefield and wasted little time in calling upon his friends, The Butcher and The Blade and The Lucha Bros. Kingston calls the group "The Family" due to their close friendship, and this may be the case, but will PAC see it this way?
PAC's return could spell trouble for Kingston as the former WWE star could look to reclaim the other members of The Death Triangle.
"The Mad King" and The Butcher and the Blade vs The Death Triangle and then Eddy Kingston vs PAC down the line are just two exciting potential matches this feud could provide.
#1 PAC lays down the gauntlet to the AEW World Champion
PAC has been in contention for the AEW World Championship before but has yet to get his hands on the title.
At AEW's press conference last year, "Hangman" Adam Page expressed his interest in becoming the first-ever AEW Champion. As the crowd cheered and chanted his name, a visibly angered PAC interrupted him and threw his name into the hat.
It seemed as though a match between to the two for the title was on the horizon at Double or Nothing, but the match didn't take place.
At the time, it was reported that the match was cancelled due to "creative differences."
Hangman Page and PAC did get to go one-on-one when Page showed up at a WrestleGate show in Nottingham, England and had a match with Pac, which ended in a DQ in favour of Page. It was a disappointing start to PAC's championship aspirations.
PAC faced Jon Moxley in a number one contender's match
Since then his only other sniff at the title was a number one contender's match against Jon Moxley. The match took place on Chris Jericho's Rock 'N' Wrestling Rager at Sea cruise.
PAC's hunger for the title will have only grown during his absence and he will be yearning to get back into the ring and into title contention.
The AEW World Championship is on the line in an I Quit match between Moxley and Eddie Kingston at Full Gear on November 7th.
PAC has a history with both champion and challenger and could easily use thier past grievances as the ammunition to finally challenge for the title.