WWE's reaction to The Rock praising AEW in tribute video to PAC reportedly revealed
(Courtesy : WWE/Netflix)
The Rock praised AEW in his tribute video to PAC.
Prayers started to pour in from the Wrestling world as the news of Benjamin Satterley, aka PAC (Neville in WWE), untimely demise spread like wildfire. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson also shared his condolences via a video on his Instagram account, explaining PAC’s wrestling background to viewers.
In his short video, the Final Boss described professional wrestling as a close-knit community united by its passion for the squared circle. He remembered PAC as an exceptionally talented performer and expressed sympathy to his family, Tony Khan, AEW’s locker room, and WWE colleagues.
Johnson concluded by thanking PAC for his memories, performances, and impact on wrestling fans. While his attempt and intentions were clear, Dave Meltzer provided another view of Rock’s actions.
WWE official expresses surprise over The Rock’s comment
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PAC’s demise hit the wrestling world hard, and Johnson expressed his feelings through the video. The Wrestling Observer Radio discussed PAC’s death, and Garrett Gonzales asked Dave Meltzer about Johnson’s tribute video and his praise for AEW and the backstage reaction in WWE to it.
“Rock and Nick Khan are close. I do not believe that that has changed. Were there people in WWE who were very surprised at his wording and what he said, especially with them being on the TKO board of directors? Yes. Okay. They were very surprised.” Meltzer responded.
He even said that he is unsure whether WWE President Nick Khan was informed about The Rock’s remarks. However, later argued that even if Khan knew, he would not have the authority to prevent Johnson from praising AEW President Tony Khan.
Meltzer even emphasized that no one, including the WWE President, can dictate what The Final Boss says publicly.
“Not that he did the video or anything like that, but the wording in the video, you know, where, you know, he praised them and, you know, essentially gave the stamp of, yeah, you guys are good for business and work hard and you’re helping make wrestling.
Not the message that I think that the company wants out, you know, not, you know, the idea of him doing the video. I don’t, you know, no one’s gonna be mad at that. But, yeah, the wording. People brought it up to me. Yeah, yeah.” Meltzer added.
Will Rock return to WWE in 2026?
There are no concrete plans for Rock’s possible return to in-ring action as of October 2026, but there are speculations about his possible return in 2027 PLE events.
Has Rock retired from WWE?
Although Rock is not making regular appearances on WWE PLE events or shows, the megastar continues to make special, part-time appearances and returned to the ring for matches as recently as 2024.
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