This show was always going to be heavy, all kinds of sad and emotional. But everyone in the AEW family rallied for Pac. Literally everyone.
As would always be the case, it was the Death Riders who took center stage to honor their brother. John Moxley opened the show against Orange Cassidy for a beautiful tribute to Cassidy-Puck during the Revolution six years ago. Bryan Danielson then returned for an emotional match with Moxley in the ring, with hugs, tears and cheers.
Marina Shafir teamed up with Hya and Thunder Rosa against Mercedes Mone, Britt Baker and Persephone. Will Ospreay, though only a temporary Death Rider, turned back the clock with Ricochet for a Pac-coded tribute. But others had yet to have their say. Enter the 10-man tag team in the main event, facing the Death Riders and the Don Callis family. However, it was noticeable that the clock was ticking down on that match, with only four Death Riders left in Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, Wheeler Utah and Gabe Kidd.
Thus led to another moment in the night moments. Brian Danielson’s return to the ring, complete with an introduction by the Death Riders. And Danielson in the ring was a moment that gave moments. tandem Busaiku knees with Wheeler Utah, Death Rider stomp featuring Marina, John Moxley said on commentary that he wants to see Danielson breathing smoke as the match’s sixth man fatigue. Garcia got the win when it was all said and done, capping off a dark month with a tribute to Pac and the Butcher.
That’s what it was all about. Wrestling was as good as it was ever going to be. But this week it took on a whole new meaning. It was an ode to one of the best to ever do it, a love letter to a man no one had a bad word to say about, in the only way that would be right.
Even in his absence, Pac was the glue that held not only the Death Riders and Danielson together, but the entire AEW roster. The biggest presence in the all-star venue was the empty chair, the throne of the King of the Cruiserweights.
There are too many quips and anecdotes to claim anything, but Puck was a beautiful soul. It can be expressed in the following ways: But the impact on wrestling, the significant impact, could only be communicated in one way. This was just that, done to absolute perfection. A night that sanctified Puck for the man he was, not the man he portrayed so well.
Written by Max Everett