AEW President Tony Khan has revealed that the company originally planned to celebrate the seventh anniversary of AEW Dynamite on September 30, 2026, before changing direction following the death of PAC.
Speaking during the AEW WrestleDream post-show media scrum on Saturday night, Khan explained that the September 30 broadcast from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, had initially been scheduled to recognize the show’s seven-year milestone.
However, following the passing of PAC, whose real name was Benjamin Satterley, Khan decided that honoring the late wrestler was far more important than celebrating the anniversary. “I didn’t talk about it at all for an important reason, because the show where we were going to talk about this, and it was going to be the seven-year anniversary show, it was far more important to celebrate the life of PAC,” Khan said.
Khan explained that the company’s focus shifted entirely toward recognizing PAC’s life, career and contributions to professional wrestling. “What would have been seven years of Wednesday Night Dynamite, where we would have marked this, it wasn’t the most important milestone. What was way more important to celebrate was Ben’s life and all the great things he accomplished, and to put on a show that celebrated his life and to encapsulate that in one night.”
The AEW President also emphasized that the tribute was not intended to advance ongoing storylines or promote upcoming events, including WrestleDream and Grand Slam France. “Not to try to advertise, not to build up tonight’s AEW WrestleDream, even though we had a great pay-per-view tonight,” Khan continued. “In Pittsburgh, it wasn’t about building up tonight’s show. It wasn’t about building up Grand Slam France. It was about putting together one-night tribute that was the perfect tribute.”
Reflecting on the emotional broadcast, Khan praised the wrestlers and staff who contributed to the tribute, expressing his appreciation for their efforts. “And Ben’s in our hearts every night. As far as a one-night tribute show, that was the best we could do. It was perfect. And I think everybody who participated gave it their very best for him.”
Khan added that the September 30 episode would otherwise have been the occasion for AEW to reflect on Dynamite’s seven-year history.
Instead, the company dedicated the broadcast to celebrating PAC’s legacy, putting its originally planned anniversary recognition aside to honor the late wrestler.
