The wrestling world is mourning the sudden death of British star Benjamin Satterley, better known to fans as PAC, who died at age 40 just one day after competing at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view in Chicago.
All Elite Wrestling announced Satterley’s death Sunday night, Sept. 27. No cause of death has been released.
The timing made the news especially shocking.
Less than 24 hours earlier, PAC had wrestled Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship at All Out. The two delivered a hard-fought match before Andrade retained the title with a roll-up pin.
After the match, the two men shared a handshake in the ring.
PAC also appeared later in the show during the main event involving Death Riders leader Jon Moxley and AEW World Champion Will Ospreay, making the event his final televised appearance.
AEW President Tony Khan paid tribute to Satterley shortly after the announcement, remembering him not only as an elite performer but as a deeply respected person behind the scenes.
Khan described Satterley as a beloved husband and friend and praised his wrestling knowledge, athleticism, professionalism and dedication to the sport.
“May Ben rest in peace,” Khan wrote.
Satterley was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and began wrestling professionally in 2004.
Over the next two decades, he built a reputation as one of the most gifted high-flying wrestlers of his generation, competing around the world before reaching a larger American audience.
He signed with WWE in 2012 and performed under the name Neville.
During his time there, he became NXT Champion, NXT Tag Team Champion and WWE Cruiserweight Champion. WWE’s own profile praised his world-class technique and spectacular agility, qualities that became trademarks of his career.
After leaving WWE in 2018, Satterley joined AEW in 2019 and returned to the PAC name.
He went on to become the first AEW All-Atlantic Champion, a title later renamed the AEW International Championship, and twice held the AEW World Trios Championship.
He was most recently a member of the Death Riders faction.
Tributes poured in from across professional wrestling after news of his death spread, with fellow wrestlers, promotions and fans remembering his intensity in the ring and quiet professionalism away from it.
What makes his death particularly difficult for fans to process is how recently he had been performing.
Just days before All Out, PAC wrestled on AEW Dynamite and Collision, defeating Austin Gunn before becoming involved in a post-match brawl that helped set up his showdown with Andrade.
Then, on Saturday night, he stepped into the ring again.
By Sunday, AEW was announcing his death.
No further details about the circumstances surrounding Satterley’s death have been made public, and his family has not released a cause.
For wrestling fans who watched him for years as Neville and later PAC, the loss came with almost no warning.