AEW has added a major singles match to its September 30 episode of Dynamite, with AEW World Champion Will Ospreay scheduled to face Ricochet on a card presented as a tribute to PAC.

Tony Khan announced the bout ahead of Wednesday night’s show, confirming another chapter in the long-running rivalry between Ospreay and Ricochet. The two high-flying stars share considerable history both with each other and with PAC, giving the match additional significance on a night dedicated to the former AEW champion.

Ospreay enters the contest as AEW World Champion, while Ricochet arrives as an opponent whose style and history make him an especially natural counterpart for Ospreay. Their meeting puts two of wrestling’s most athletic and innovative performers in the ring for a bout that carries the weight of their past encounters without needing a championship stipulation attached to it.

A Rivalry With a Major International History

Will Ospreay and Ricochet have been linked for years through matches that helped define the expectations around modern high-flying wrestling. Their paths crossed prominently in New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s Best of the Super Juniors, where they delivered a widely remembered battle that remains an important part of both men’s résumés.

For more background on this topic, read Cassie Lee Names AEW Women’s Tag Team Titles as Her Top Wrestling Goal.

That shared history is central to the appeal of their September 30 meeting. Ospreay and Ricochet are not simply two wrestlers being placed together because of compatible in-ring approaches. They are rivals whose previous work helped establish the kind of pace, creativity, and aerial risk that fans often expect when their names appear on the same lineup.

Both competitors have continued to develop beyond the reputations they built in those earlier years. Ospreay now holds AEW’s top championship, a position that places a different level of attention on every match he takes. Ricochet, meanwhile, remains a uniquely explosive opponent capable of matching the champion’s speed and challenging him in areas where few wrestlers can keep up.

The match also creates a compelling contrast in circumstances. Ospreay is entering as champion, but the announcement did not designate the bout as a title match. That means pride, momentum, and the personal history between the two performers are at the center of the encounter. In a rivalry with an established legacy, those elements can be as meaningful as a championship being on the line.

Ospreay and Ricochet’s Connection to PAC

The September 30 episode of Dynamite is being billed as a tribute to PAC, and the choice of Ospreay versus Ricochet fits that theme on several levels. Both men have a long history with PAC, another performer celebrated for setting a remarkable standard through his athleticism, intensity, and technical ability.

That context gives the match a larger emotional and historical frame. PAC’s influence can be felt in the expectations surrounding bouts involving wrestlers who operate at this level of speed and precision. Scheduling Ospreay and Ricochet against one another for a tribute show recognizes not only their individual connections to PAC, but also the broader era and style of wrestling in which all three names have been so closely associated.

AEW has not attached any additional stipulations to the Ospreay-Ricochet match in the announced lineup. Still, the setting ensures that it will be viewed as more than a routine singles contest. A tribute show naturally places added focus on the competitors chosen to represent the occasion, particularly when those competitors have histories that intersect with the person being honored.

For Ospreay, the match is another opportunity to perform at the level expected of an AEW World Champion. For Ricochet, it is a chance to test himself against the company’s top titleholder in a matchup already proven capable of producing standout moments. For viewers, it is a reunion of rivals whose previous work has kept interest high whenever a rematch becomes possible.

What the Match Means on Dynamite

Even without the AEW World Championship being listed for defense, Ospreay’s status adds obvious importance to the bout. Champions are judged not only by title defenses but by the caliber of opponents they face and the performances they deliver while carrying the promotion’s premier prize.

Ricochet is the kind of opponent who can demand the best from Ospreay. Their familiarity with each other’s timing and athletic range may make the match especially difficult to predict from an in-ring standpoint. Wrestlers with a deep history can often anticipate one another, but that same familiarity can lead to increasingly inventive counters as each looks to stay one step ahead.

There is also the question of momentum. A win over the reigning AEW World Champion in a non-title match would be a significant accomplishment for Ricochet, while Ospreay will aim to reinforce why he sits at the top of the company. Neither outcome has been announced, but the matchup gives both men a clear reason to treat the contest as a major moment.

The show’s tribute to PAC will likely shape the atmosphere around the entire broadcast. Ospreay versus Ricochet stands out as a particularly fitting addition because the matchup evokes the kind of elite, fast-paced wrestling that has long connected all three competitors in the minds of fans. It is a match rooted in shared history, but it will take place under the current spotlight of AEW television.

Current AEW Dynamite Lineup for September 30

As announced, the September 30 edition of AEW Dynamite will feature the following matches and theme:

  • AEW Dynamite: A tribute to PAC
  • Thunder Rosa and Hyan vs. Britt Baker and Persephone
  • AEW World Champion Will Ospreay vs. Ricochet

The women’s tag team match gives Thunder Rosa and Hyan a notable challenge against the pairing of Britt Baker and Persephone. Meanwhile, Ospreay and Ricochet bring a rivalry with a major international foundation into an AEW ring for a show carrying a special purpose.

With the card centered on honoring PAC, Ospreay versus Ricochet has the potential to be one of the night’s most closely watched contests. Their Best of the Super Juniors history remains a key point of reference, but this is a new meeting in a different setting, with Ospreay now carrying the AEW World Championship and both men competing on a tribute edition of Dynamite.

AEW Dynamite airs Wednesday, September 30. The Ospreay-Ricochet clash is officially set, and it adds a high-profile singles attraction to a night designed to recognize PAC’s place in professional wrestling.

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.