Another day, another AEW match where the wrestling gods demanded someone’s ankle. This week’s AEW Dynamite was supposed to feature a potential classic between Swerve Strickland and PAC—a match billed to steal the show. Instead, the only thing getting stolen was PAC’s ability to walk out unassisted.
Midway through the bout, things went sideways—literally. After taking a buckle bomb from Strickland, PAC came down awkwardly on his right leg, and suddenly, the entire arena was holding its collective breath like someone just walked into Thanksgiving dinner with a surprise title change.
To his credit, PAC did what PAC always does: grit his teeth, rolled to the outside, got checked by doctors like it was a pit stop in F1: Full Gear Edition, and limped back into the ring to finish the match on one leg. Strickland, ever the opportunist, kicked him in the face and delivered the Swerve Stomp to wrap things up mercifully and win the match.
But things didn’t stop hurting there.
According to PWInsider, PAC was seen leaving the building on crutches, confirming what everyone’s joints already knew: this is probably not a work. AEW talent backstage reportedly believe the injury is ankle-related, which tracks given PAC’s post-match hobble and his well-documented history of being tougher than a steel cage wrapped in barbed wire and ego.
The injury couldn’t come at a worse time. PAC is one-third of the AEW World Trios Champions alongside Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta—two men who spent the rest of the night losing to Hook and Samoa Joe while probably wondering if they’d soon be defending those titles with a backup plan.
To make matters even more complicated, Joe, Hook, and Shibata challenged the Death Riders to a Trios Championship match at the end of the show. So now the big question is:
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Will PAC be cleared in time?
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Will AEW shuffle in a replacement?
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Will the titles be vacated faster than a catering tray near Samoa Joe?
As of now, no official decision has been made. But one thing’s for sure: PAC’s ankle deserves a commemorative t-shirt.