Andrade El Idolo sees championship-level potential in PAC, but he believes one major change may be necessary before the Bastard can reach the top of All Elite Wrestling.

After defending the AEW National Championship against PAC at AEW All Out 2026, Andrade addressed his opponent’s future in a message posted to X. Rather than focusing solely on their title encounter, Andrade offered praise for PAC while making a pointed argument about his association with the Death Riders.

“This man @BASTARDPAC has to be a world champion in the future, but he needs to leave the Death Riders, just like I left Don Callis! 2-1.”

The comment placed PAC’s direction within the Death Riders under fresh scrutiny. Andrade did not question PAC’s ability, athleticism, or credentials. On the contrary, his message was built around the belief that PAC has what it takes to become a world champion. His concern was that PAC may need to operate outside of the Death Riders in order to fully realize that potential.

For more background on this topic, read Kenny Omega Explains How My Hero Academia Shaped His AEW All In London Entrance.

It is an assessment Andrade connected directly to his own experience. Andrade referenced his decision to leave the Don Callis Family, presenting that departure as an important comparison point in his argument that PAC should chart a more independent path.

Respect follows the National Championship match

The exchange at All Out brought Andrade and PAC together in a high-profile AEW National Championship match. Although the championship was at stake, Andrade’s post-match message made clear that he views PAC as far more than a challenger who came up short in one important contest.

PAC has long been regarded as one of AEW’s most accomplished and difficult opponents. His style combines speed, power, aggression, technical precision, and an ability to thrive in matches that demand a high physical pace. He has also remained closely connected to some of the promotion’s most notable group dynamics, first through his history with the Lucha Bros. and later as part of the Death Riders.

Andrade’s praise carries added weight because it came immediately after the two met for a championship. Competitors regularly exchange words after a major event, but Andrade’s statement went beyond a standard acknowledgment of PAC’s performance. He offered a specific vision of what PAC could become, while also suggesting the obstacle that he believes stands in the way.

That does not mean PAC has indicated any desire to leave the Death Riders. There has been no stated confirmation that a departure is being considered, and Andrade’s message should be understood as his own perspective on PAC’s future. Still, it introduces an intriguing question around whether PAC’s position within the faction serves his long-term individual ambitions.

PAC’s AEW championship history

PAC’s record in AEW already includes significant title success. He is a former AEW All-Atlantic Champion, a championship now known as the AEW International Championship. He has also won the AEW World Trios Championship twice.

His first reign as a World Trios Champion came alongside the Lucha Bros., Fenix and Penta. That run reinforced the chemistry and success that PAC had built with the Lucha Bros. in AEW, where their alliance consistently placed them among the most formidable units in the tag and trios divisions.

PAC later became a two-time World Trios Champion with Death Riders teammates Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta. That reign added another chapter to his AEW accomplishments and showed that PAC has been able to find championship success in different team environments.

Yet the one achievement Andrade highlighted remains absent from PAC’s career record: a major world championship. PAC has not held a major World Title in either AEW or WWE. That fact gives Andrade’s message a clear context. He was not saying PAC must prove he can win championships; PAC already has. Instead, Andrade was identifying the world-title level as the remaining frontier.

For PAC, that distinction is meaningful. The former All-Atlantic Champion and World Trios Champion has demonstrated that he can carry singles gold and contribute to title-winning teams. A run toward the AEW World Championship would represent a different kind of pursuit, one centered entirely on his place at the top of the company as an individual.

Andrade is also chasing his first world title

Andrade’s comments about PAC come while he is navigating a major opportunity of his own. Andrade won the Casino Gauntlet Match at AEW All In: London last month, earning a contract for an AEW World Championship match.

The contract gives Andrade a route to challenge for the AEW World Title at a time of his choosing, but it is not an instant cash-in arrangement. A Casino Gauntlet winner holding a title-shot contract must provide at least one week’s advance notice before using it. Andrade therefore has flexibility in selecting his moment, while the champion will receive formal notice that the match is coming.

It remains unknown when Andrade intends to cash in his opportunity. The uncertainty around that decision is a major part of the value of the contract. Andrade can assess the AEW World Championship picture, determine when he believes the conditions are most favorable, and then announce his intention at least a week before the title match takes place.

Despite holding that valuable contract, Andrade has not been a World Champion himself. That creates an interesting parallel with PAC. Andrade is speaking about a fellow elite competitor who he believes can become a world champion, while he is preparing for an opportunity that could allow him to reach that same milestone for the first time.

His reference to leaving the Don Callis Family also frames his present position as an example of a wrestler taking control of his own direction. Andrade has linked his exit from that group to the independence he now sees as necessary for PAC. Whether PAC shares that view is another matter, but Andrade clearly believes separation from a powerful faction can be a step toward a larger individual goal.

What Andrade’s message means for PAC and the Death Riders

The Death Riders have given PAC another prominent setting in AEW and helped produce one of his two World Trios Championship reigns. From that standpoint, the alliance has undeniably been associated with success. Andrade’s argument is not that PAC has accomplished nothing within the faction. Rather, he is suggesting that success within a group and a breakthrough as a singular world champion may require different paths.

Faction membership can provide support, allies, and opportunities, but it can also tie a wrestler’s priorities to the wider objectives of the group. Andrade’s post raises the possibility that PAC’s ultimate ambitions could eventually conflict with the Death Riders’ collective direction. At this stage, however, that remains Andrade’s opinion rather than a declared plan from PAC.

There is also no indication that PAC has responded publicly to Andrade’s statement. His focus following All Out has not been clarified, nor has the Death Riders’ response to Andrade’s suggestion. Until PAC addresses the matter himself, the central takeaway is a show of respect from the AEW National Champion toward one of his toughest opponents.

Andrade did not minimize PAC after their match. He described him as a future world champion and offered a blunt explanation for why he thinks that future has not yet arrived. The message may prove to be nothing more than a champion’s opinion after a hard-fought defense, or it could become an early signal of questions that follow PAC and the Death Riders in the months ahead.

Meanwhile, Andrade has a championship of his own to defend and an AEW World Championship contract waiting to be used. With the requirement of one week’s advance notice in place, the timing of his title challenge remains entirely unresolved. Both Andrade and PAC are therefore connected by the same unfinished objective: reaching the world-title summit for the first time.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.