The Rock’s public praise of AEW and Tony Khan following PAC’s death reportedly continues to generate discussion within WWE.

According to Dave Meltzer, the WWE star and TKO board member’s comments remain a talking point backstage weeks after he paid tribute to the late wrestler.

The situation stems from a video The Rock shared earlier this month, in which he remembered PAC and referred to Khan as a friend. He also praised AEW, saying the promotion “is growing into this phenomenal wrestling company.”

Dave Meltzer reveals WWE’s continuing reaction to The Rock’s AEW comments

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Meltzer reported that WWE personnel have continued bringing up The Rock’s remarks during their conversations. He suggested that the response to the comments has not completely faded for some people within the company.

Meltzer wrote that “evidently with some, that sting still hasn’t gone away.” However, he also noted that people understood why The Rock wanted to address PAC’s passing.

According to Meltzer, there may be different interpretations of the situation, but The Rock could simply have wanted to express support for the people who worked with PAC in AEW. Rather than staying silent because of the perceived rivalry between the promotions, he chose to acknowledge the loss.

The Rock also addressed the discussion himself in early October, responding to an Instagram post about his tribute. He explained that his decision came from concern for fellow wrestlers rather than loyalty to one promotion over another.

“I was born into this business and I’ve seen it all, but when one of our own passes away, I don’t care nor do I see ‘our competition,’” he wrote. “I care about the wrestlers and how it affects them. I’ve been there. To me, humanity matters most.”

The report does not indicate that WWE has taken any action against The Rock over his comments. Earlier reports said officials were surprised by his praise for Khan and AEW, rather than upset about the tribute itself.

Separately, The Rock did not appear at WWE’s Hawaii tryouts and live events on October 16 and 17, despite initially being advertised. WWE had removed him from promotional materials before those events.

For now, the comments remain a topic of backstage conversation. Meanwhile, The Rock has made his reasoning clear: wrestling’s competitive lines mattered less to him than remembering PAC.

The post The Rock’s AEW Mention Draws an Internal Reaction Within WWE — Report appeared first on Wrestlezone.