Benjamin Satterley, the British wrestler known as Pac, died Sept. 27 at age 40, All Elite Wrestling
announced. He had wrestled Andrade El Idolo at AEW’s All Out event the night before.
“All Elite Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac,” the company said in a statement on its website. The post carries a Sept. 28 date, while TMZ
reported the news Sept. 27. AEW said Satterley was a native of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, began wrestling in 2004 and signed with AEW in 2019. The company said he held multiple AEW championships. It offered condolences to his family, friends and fans and did not give a cause of
death.
What Is Known About Pac’s Death
“All Out” took place Saturday, Sept. 26, at Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, outside Chicago, according to the Daily Herald. NBC Chicago reported that Satterley challenged Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship and lost.
Most reports describe the match that way. Men’s Journal described it as his opening match of the night. A passerby found Satterley alone in a rental car on the 2700 block of Mannheim Road in Des Plaines, Illinois, near O’Hare International Airport, a Des Plaines spokesperson said, according to Forbes. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s office pronounced him dead at 4:08 p.m. Sunday,
Forbes reported. The Daily Herald reported that the spokesperson said there were no indications of foul play or trauma and that the death did not appear suspicious.
The medical examiner’s office has not released a cause. An official told POST Wrestling that the cause and manner of death were pending additional testing and that “it may be several weeks” before results are available. AEW has not given a cause.
Pac’s Career From Newcastle To AEW
Satterley was born Aug. 22, 1986, in Newcastle upon Tyne and began wrestling professionally in
2004, according to Wikipedia. That is 22 years in the ring. He spent seven of them, from 2019
on, with AEW.
From 2012 to 2018 he worked in WWE as Adrian Neville, then Neville. He held the NXT Championship for 287 days, until Sami Zayn beat him Dec. 11, 2014, and he was a two-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Wikipedia said. TMZ also reported the NXT title and the two Cruiserweight reigns.
In AEW he became the first holder of the International Championship, then called the AllAtlantic Championship, and lost it to Orange Cassidy after 108 days. He won the AEW World
Trios Championship twice, once with Penta and Rey Fenix as Death Triangle and once with Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta, and Wikipedia described him as the first double champion in AEW history, holding the International and Trios titles together. He joined the Death Riders
faction in 2024.
Yahoo Sports reported that he won 94 of his 147 AEW matches. That is a win rate of about 64%. His last appearances came at All Out. Besides the National Championship match, Yahoo Sports reported he took part in the main-event segment, a match between Jon Moxley and Will
Ospreay.
Tributes From AEW and the Wrestling World
AEW President Tony Khan said Satterley “defined excellence” as a husband, friend and wrestler,
according to Yahoo Sports. He also praised the athleticism and dedication Satterley brought to
the sport.
Will Ospreay, who wrestled alongside Satterley in AEW, said: “The greatest export from our country. Also the greatest human being,” NBC Chicago reported. Evil Uno said he was in shock.
Referee Bryce Remsburg said his children knew Satterley as Ben, the man who brought them Kinder Eggs from the United Kingdom. Wrestler Marina Shafir said she had been with Satterley
the day before and described him as modest about how accomplished he was.
WWE’s Triple H said Satterley “was an extraordinary talent and even kinder human being,” the Daily Herald reported. Wrestler Matt Cardona called Satterley the perfect professional wrestler, and Ric Flair described him as a gifted talent with incredible athleticism. Newcastle United said
the club was honored to welcome Satterley and his family to St. James’ Park in 2014. Rhea Ripley said she was speechless, Yahoo Sports reported, and New Japan Pro-Wrestling said
it was deeply saddened.
AEW’s Plans for a Tribute
AEW announced a tribute special for its Wednesday broadcast of “Dynamite” on Sept. 30 in Pittsburgh, POST Wrestling reported. The show falls three days after the announcement of Satterley’s death.
