#7 — PAC vs. Bryan Danielson — Owen Hart Foundation Tournament 2024
Event: AEW Dynamite — July 3, 2024
Match: PAC vs. Bryan Danielson
Stakes: Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Semifinal
Result: Bryan Danielson defeated PAC
PAC’s semifinal against Bryan Danielson was one of the strongest examples of his ability to work a high-level singles match without relying on spectacle.
The Owen Hart Foundation Tournament gave the contest genuine stakes, with both wrestlers fighting for the opportunity to move closer to an AEW World Championship opportunity.
PAC attacked Danielson with his usual combination of speed, strikes and aerial offense, but the match also allowed him to showcase his patience and submission game. He repeatedly attempted to create openings where he could trap Danielson and force him into uncomfortable positions.
Danielson eventually found the answer and advanced, but PAC’s performance remained one of the standout singles efforts of his later AEW career.
The match also represents an important part of PAC’s evolution. He was no longer simply the explosive wrestler who could produce spectacular sequences. He had developed into a veteran capable of constructing a serious tournament match around pacing, counters, submissions and sustained aggression.
#6 — Kenny Omega vs. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC — Double or Nothing 2021
Event: AEW Double or Nothing 2021
Match: Kenny Omega vs. Orange Cassidy vs. PAC
Stakes: AEW World Championship
Result: Kenny Omega defeated Orange Cassidy and PAC
This is one of the most important matches in PAC’s AEW career because it placed him directly in an AEW World Championship main-event-level environment against Kenny Omega and Orange Cassidy.
PAC entered the match after his World Championship Eliminator Match with Cassidy ended in a controversial double count-out. Instead of eliminating either challenger, Omega’s involvement resulted in the AEW World Champion having to defend against both men at Double or Nothing.
The three-way format allowed PAC to showcase almost every part of his arsenal. He exchanged physical attacks with Omega, battled Cassidy and repeatedly created situations where he looked capable of becoming AEW World Champion.
PAC hit an avalanche Falcon Arrow, a sunset-flip powerbomb and the Black Arrow while also trapping Omega in the Brutalizer. The match repeatedly shifted between the three wrestlers, but PAC never felt like an afterthought.
The finish was also significant. Omega ultimately pinned Orange Cassidy, meaning PAC was not the challenger directly pinned to lose the AEW World Championship.
This was PAC operating on one of AEW’s biggest stages, against two of the company’s most prominent stars, with the promotion’s top championship at stake. That makes it an essential part of any serious countdown of his AEW career.
#5 — Death Triangle vs. The Elite — Full Gear 2022
Event: AEW Full Gear 2022
Match: Death Triangle vs. The Elite
Stakes: AEW World Trios Championship — Best-of-Seven Series
Result: Death Triangle defeated The Elite
The opening match of the Death Triangle and The Elite Best-of-Seven Series was the beginning of one of PAC’s most memorable AEW storylines.
PAC, Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix entered as the AEW World Trios Champions, while Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks returned to challenge them.
PAC immediately became one of the most important pieces of the match. His rivalry with Omega added a personal layer to the contest, while his aggressive approach helped establish Death Triangle as a dangerous championship team.
Death Triangle won the opening match and gained the early advantage in the series. What followed turned the rivalry into one of AEW’s most memorable extended programs, with the two teams repeatedly pushing one another further.
PAC’s role was especially important because he was more than simply another member of the trio. He was one of the personalities driving Death Triangle’s identity, bringing a ruthless edge that complemented Penta and Fenix’s spectacular offense.
That combination makes the Full Gear match one of the most important multi-man matches of PAC’s AEW career.
#4 — PAC vs. Darby Allin — AEW Collision: Fairway to Hell 2026
Event: AEW Collision: Fairway to Hell — May 9, 2026
Match: Darby Allin vs. PAC
Stakes: AEW World Championship — No Count Out
Result: Darby Allin defeated PAC
PAC’s 2026 AEW World Championship match against Darby Allin is one of the most unique matches of his AEW career.
The special Fairway to Hell edition of Collision introduced the unusual no-count-out stipulation, allowing the match to move far beyond the traditional ring environment. Darby immediately took advantage of that rule, taking the fight toward the golf-course setting surrounding the event.
PAC responded with his usual physical aggression. He battled Darby through the sand traps, threw him into the bunker and even applied the Brutalizer outside the ring, knowing that Darby could not be defeated there.
The match eventually returned to the ring, but the chaos continued. PAC delivered a devastating balcony fall through a stack of four tables, yet Darby somehow survived and continued fighting.
Darby ultimately retained the AEW World Championship, but PAC’s performance made the match one of the most memorable world-title challenges of his later AEW career.
What makes it rank this high is not simply the spectacle. PAC was central to the entire match, and the contest demonstrated that even years into his AEW run, he could still be trusted with a major championship program and a completely unconventional stipulation.
