AEW has added a major championship match to All Out 2026, with Andrade El Idolo set to defend the AEW National Championship against PAC.
The match was confirmed during the September 19 episode of AEW Collision after Andrade successfully defended the title against Daniel Garcia. Andrade survived Garcia’s challenge to retain the championship, but his night ended with another threat immediately emerging.
PAC steps up to challenge Andrade
Following Andrade’s victory, PAC made his intentions clear and a National Championship match between the two was subsequently confirmed for AEW All Out.
The announcement gives Andrade another high-profile defence at one of AEW’s biggest events and puts him opposite one of the company’s most dangerous in-ring competitors. PAC’s combination of speed, power and aggression presents a significantly different challenge from Garcia, particularly with the championship now becoming an increasingly important part of Andrade’s current run.
Andrade entered Collision with the title against Garcia, who had earned his opportunity by winning the Butcher Memorial Battle Royale on the previous week’s show. Garcia pushed the champion, but Andrade ultimately retained and kept his reign intact heading toward All Out.
AEW All Out card continues to take shape
The addition of Andrade versus PAC strengthens an All Out card that continues to develop as AEW moves into the final stretch before the pay-per-view.
For PAC, the match represents an opportunity to add another championship to his AEW résumé. The former All-Atlantic Champion and Trios Champion has remained one of AEW’s most consistently dangerous performers, and a singles title victory at All Out would immediately reshape the National Championship picture.
Andrade, meanwhile, now has little recovery time after his Collision defence. Retaining against Garcia established momentum, but PAC’s challenge ensures there will be no quiet period for the champion.
Andrade vs PAC adds a different dynamic
The matchup also stands out stylistically. Both wrestlers can work at a fast pace, but neither is limited to it. Andrade’s striking and explosiveness match up against PAC’s aerial offence and physical intensity, giving AEW a championship bout capable of moving between technical wrestling, heavy strikes and high-risk sequences.
There is also considerably more at stake than simply adding another match to the All Out lineup. AEW is continuing to establish the National Championship’s place within its title structure, and prominent pay-per-view defences are an important part of giving the belt its own identity.
Andrade defeating Garcia on television before immediately moving into a defence against PAC at All Out gives the championship a clear progression rather than leaving it without a direction between major events.
The timing also gives the match immediate momentum. Andrade is coming directly out of a successful televised defence, while PAC does not need a lengthy build to be presented as a credible threat. That allows AEW to sell the contest around the championship itself: a champion trying to establish his reign against a challenger whose reputation already makes the outcome uncertain.
For viewers following the National Championship since its introduction, All Out therefore becomes an important checkpoint. A successful defence would further establish Andrade at the centre of the division; a PAC victory would instantly send the championship in a new direction.
AEW All Out 2026 will now feature Andrade El Idolo defending the AEW National Championship against PAC, with further matches expected to be confirmed as the event approaches.
