Renowned AEW Wrestler Pac Passes Away at Age 40 Following Final Match

The British professional wrestler known as Pac in All Elite Wrestling has died aged 40. Benjamin Satterley, who also used the name Neville during his time with WWE, died a day after competing in AEW's All Out event in Illinois. AEW announced his death on Sunday night. The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

"All Elite Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac," the company said. "A native of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Satterley began his wrestling career in 2004 and went on to perform for wrestling organisations all over the world, captivating fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability. Our condolences go out to Satterley's family, friends and fans."

Satterley had been in the ring only a day before his death, challenging Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship at All Out at the Now Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Satterley began wrestling professionally in 2004 and competed for promotions around the world before becoming widely known to international audiences through WWE.

Performing as Adrian Neville and later only Neville, he became one of the standout wrestlers in WWE's NXT developmental brand. He won the NXT Championship in February 2014 and held the title for 286 days before losing it to Sami Zayn in December that year. He moved to WWE's main roster in 2015 and later became a prominent part of its cruiserweight division, adopting the "King of the Cruiserweights" persona. Satterley won the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at the Royal Rumble in January 2017 and went on to hold the title twice.

After leaving WWE, Satterley returned to performing as Pac and joined AEW in 2019. During his time with the promotion, he became the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic champion – a title later renamed the International Championship – after winning a four-way match at Forbidden Door in June 2022. He held the championship until October that year. He also held other championships during his AEW career and became known for his association with the Death Riders in his later years with the company.

After news of Satterley's death broke, many wrestlers took to social media to pay tribute. AEW founder and chief executive Tony Khan called the wrestler a "beloved husband and friend to his many loved ones" while praising his in-ring wrestling skills and knowledge. Will Ospreay, the current AEW world champion, paid tribute by sharing a photo of the two in a match together, calling him "the greatest export from country. Also the greatest human being."

New Japan Pro Wrestling's Shota Umino called it a "true honour" to have wrestled Pac in the UK and the US. AEW commentator and former wrestler Taz said he was "an absolutely amazing performer" and "amazing human being" before sharing a brief story about a moment the two shared the previous night. Dustin Rhodes called Pac "an incredible man and talent loved by us all".

WWE wrestlers have also taken to social media to pay tribute, with Rhea Ripley calling it "a tragic day" and saying she was speechless at the loss of an "extremely talented person". Becky Lynch said he was "one of the best in every way possible". Paul Heyman called Pac a "tremendous talent and even finer human being". Meanwhile, Alexa Bliss shared her disbelief at the news. Danhausen, who was a part of AEW before leaving the promotion for WWE, said Pac was "one of the kindest, most welcoming people in a locker room". Adam Peace, the on-screen general manager of Raw, called him an "incredible performer" and said he "truly enjoyed every interaction" the two had.