Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has responded after reports that people in WWE were surprised by his praise for rival promotion AEW in his tribute to the late wrestler PAC.

PAC, real name Benjamin Satterley, died on September 27 at age 40, a day after competing at AEW’s All Out event. Johnson posted a video tribute calling AEW a “phenomenal” company and naming Tony Khan a friend.

Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio that the wording caught people in WWE off guard, partly because Johnson sits on the board of TKO, WWE’s parent company.

Johnson replied on Instagram: “You’re right brother, and humanity matters to me. When one of our own passes away, I don’t care nor do I see ‘our competition’. I care about the wrestlers. To me, humanity matters most.”

Satterley wrestled in WWE as Neville from 2012 to 2018 before joining AEW. The September 30 AEW Dynamite tribute to him drew 899,000 viewers, its biggest audience since October 2023.