PAC vs. Page off Double or Nothing due to creative differences

[Big Red Machine]

Source: F4WOnline.com


By Dave Meltzer | @davemeltzerWON | May 18, 2019 3:16 pm


The angle at today's WrestleGate show in Nottingham, England involving PAC and Hangman Page was done largely to present the match that had been built up because the match won't be taking place at Double or Nothing on Saturday.

The official word from AEW is that there were creative differences regarding the match and PAC won't be on Saturday's show. With PAC's regular matches in the U.K., it's known that beacuse he takes his status as world champion with Dragon Gate seriously, he has not agreed to any losses since winning the Open the Dream Gate title and to protect that has done 30:00 draws with Zack Sabre Jr. and Will Ospreay. On the flip side, AEW wants to present a sports-like atmosphere and had their own direction for what they wanted.

The PAC vs. Page match will be released this week on the Internet by AEW with the idea that everyone can see the match, even if it had a DQ finish, for free, so fans are getting the hyped up match. Page agreed to fly to England and do the match to make up for the hyped match not happening on the PPV. Page will be wrestling against a new opponent, although the name probably won't be announced before the PPV show. The DQ finish kept things open ended enough that PAC may be back with the promotion at some point to face Page, although there is no definitive time frame.

There will be at least one more announcement made midweek regarding Saturday's show.

[Big Red Machine]

Good on them for finding a way to do a make-good, but how did this not come up before?

[cero2k]

I gotta respect PAC respecting his DG title like that, I'm not even mad

[Big Red Machine]

I gotta respect PAC respecting his DG title like that, I'm not even mad

1. Haven't you in the past criticized both Gabe and Delirious for not letting their champions do jobs?

2. I wonder what we can read into this, booking-wise, from the idea of Page needing to win decisively (or else they could just have PAC win or go to a draw or do a f*ck finish and it wouldn't be a problem).

3. As I said, this should have come up before, as PAC has been a champion for months and we've been seeing this issue the whole year.

4. That being said, I just heard a conspiracy theory that this is them working the dirtsheets and the real issue with PAC is a visa issue (which he had for Mania weekend, too, I believe), which would also eliminate the issue brought up in #3.

[Bob-O]

I thought PAC signed with AEW...?

[cero2k]

I gotta respect PAC respecting his DG title like that, I'm not even mad

1. Haven't you in the past criticized both Gabe and Delirious for not letting their champions do jobs?

2. I wonder what we can read into this, booking-wise, from the idea of Page needing to win decisively (or else they could just have PAC win or go to a draw or do a f*ck finish and it wouldn't be a problem).

3. As I said, this should have come up before, as PAC has been a champion for months and we've been seeing this issue the whole year.

4. That being said, I just heard a conspiracy theory that this is them working the dirtsheets and the real issue with PAC is a visa issue (which he had for Mania weekend, too, I believe), which would also eliminate the issue brought up in #3.

1. yeah, the bookers. it's different when it's the champ himself that wants to protect his/her title reign.

2. WOR explained it, but a time limit draw would mean having to take time away from more people, and a shitty DQ finish is exactly the last thing that AEW should do in their first big show.

3. it's hard to say without knowing how Dragon Gate books. The match was signed a long time ago, it could had been expected that PAC was losing the title by now.

4. Could be

[cero2k]

Meltzer on WOR: "A lot of people are misinterpreting the situation, PAC was always supposed to beat Page. The issue was that the match would lead to PAC vs. Omega, which they didn't want Omega to lose, so they cancelled it."

AEW also paid for the match that happened in England.

[Big Red Machine]

I gotta respect PAC respecting his DG title like that, I'm not even mad

1. Haven't you in the past criticized both Gabe and Delirious for not letting their champions do jobs?

2. I wonder what we can read into this, booking-wise, from the idea of Page needing to win decisively (or else they could just have PAC win or go to a draw or do a f*ck finish and it wouldn't be a problem).

3. As I said, this should have come up before, as PAC has been a champion for months and we've been seeing this issue the whole year.

4. That being said, I just heard a conspiracy theory that this is them working the dirtsheets and the real issue with PAC is a visa issue (which he had for Mania weekend, too, I believe), which would also eliminate the issue brought up in #3.

1. yeah, the bookers. it's different when it's the champ himself that wants to protect his/her title reign.

2. WOR explained it, but a time limit draw would mean having to take time away from more people, and a shitty DQ finish is exactly the last thing that AEW should do in their first big show.

3. it's hard to say without knowing how Dragon Gate books. The match was signed a long time ago, it could had been expected that PAC was losing the title by now.

4. Could be

1. Well protecting the ROH World Title that way was originally Joe's idea... but I actually find it more palatable when the booker is dictating it rather than the champion saying "Oh, I can't lose, I'm someone's champion" because that shouldn't stop you from doing a job unless your booker specifically doesn't want you doing jobs.

[Big Red Machine]

Meltzer on WOR: "A lot of people are misinterpreting the situation, PAC was always supposed to beat Page. The issue was that the match would lead to PAC vs. Omega, which they didn't want Omega to lose, so they cancelled it."

AEW also paid for the match that happened in England.

This makes more sense booking-wise, and they deserve credit for the make-good, but the moment they came up with the "PAC loses to Kenny" plan they should have asked Dragon Gate if this was okay.

[cero2k]

This makes more sense booking-wise, and they deserve credit for the make-good, but the moment they came up with the "PAC loses to Kenny" plan they should have asked Dragon Gate if this was okay.

like i said in point 3. they probably planned that stuff out before the first press conference, so at that point maybe not even DG knew how far they planned to let PAC keep the title. Consider that PAC vs Omega wouldn't be taking place likely until Labor Day weekend show, almost a year apart.

[cero2k]

now that i got to see the match, apparently, PAC is also unpinned/unsubmitted since returning to the indies, which is something that he may be protecting more than the title

[Big Red Machine]

now that i got to see the match, apparently, PAC is also unpinned/unsubmitted since returning to the indies, which is something that he may be protecting more than the title

If that's the case then he's making a big mistake. You can't go undefeated forever, and what better spot would there be drop a match then on a MAJOR show against one of the biggest names in the business?