Who Was PAC? Inside AEW and WWE Star Benjamin Satterley's Career and Death at 40
- 🔑 PAC, born Benjamin Satterley, died Sunday, September 27, 2026, at age 40, one day after wrestling his final match, a loss to Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, outside Chicago, on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
- AEW announced his death in an official statement posted to its website and social media accounts on the evening of Sunday, September 27, 2026, describing him as a wrestler who ‘captivated fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability’ over a two-decade career.
- As of Tuesday, September 29, 2026, no cause of death has been released by AEW, any medical examiner’s office, or the Satterley family; nothing about the circumstances of his death has been officially disclosed beyond the timing.
- Before AEW, Satterley spent 2012 to 2018 in WWE as Adrian Neville, later shortened to Neville, winning the NXT Championship, two NXT Tag Team Championships, and two WWE Cruiserweight Championships.
- In AEW from 2019 onward he became the promotion’s first-ever All-Atlantic Champion (now the International Championship) and a two-time AEW World Trios Champion, and was a member of the Death Triangle and, later, Death Riders stables.
- AEW chairman Tony Khan announced a moment of silence, a ten-bell salute, and a full tribute episode of AEW Dynamite for Wednesday, September 30, 2026; no betting odds, spreads, or win-probability content appear anywhere in this piece.
PAC — the AEW and WWE wrestler born Benjamin Satterley — died on Sunday, September 27, 2026, at age 40, one day after wrestling what turned out to be the final match of his career. AEW announced his death in an official statement that same evening, and as of Tuesday, September 29, 2026, no cause of death has been released. Here’s what’s known about his career and his passing, and what is still unconfirmed.
Who was PAC?
PAC was the ring name of Benjamin Satterley, a British professional wrestler from Newcastle upon Tyne, England, who built a two-decade career across the United Kingdom, Japan, WWE, and AEW. Born August 22, 1986, he started wrestling on the British independent scene in 2004, according to AEW’s own account of his career, before becoming known internationally for a fast-paced, high-flying in-ring style. He signed with WWE in 2012 and later became one of AEW’s first major roster signings when that company launched in 2019.
How did PAC die?
Satterley died on Sunday, September 27, 2026, one day after his final match, a loss to Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view. That event was held Saturday, September 26, 2026, at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, outside Chicago. AEW has not disclosed the circumstances of his death beyond confirming that he died the following day, and no other details about where or how he died have been made public.
Has a cause of death been released?
No. As of Tuesday, September 29, 2026, neither AEW, any medical examiner’s office, nor Satterley’s family has released an official cause of death. News organizations covering the story have reported the same thing: nothing has been confirmed publicly about how he died, and no foul play has been reported. This piece will be updated if and when an official cause is announced.
What did AEW say about his death?
AEW confirmed Satterley’s death in a statement posted to its own website and social accounts on the evening of Sunday, September 27, 2026, saying it was “saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac.” The statement described him as a wrestler who “captivated fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability” across organizations worldwide, and noted he had competed in some of AEW’s most memorable matches since signing in 2019. It closed by extending condolences to his family, friends, and fans.
What was PAC’s WWE career like?
Satterley wrestled in WWE from 2012 to 2018 under the ring name Adrian Neville, later shortened to Neville, and became one of the promotion’s top champions during that stretch. He won the NXT Championship in a 2014 ladder match, added two NXT Tag Team Championships, and later became a two-time WWE Cruiserweight Champion, at one point the developmental brand’s longest-reigning cruiserweight titleholder. He left WWE in 2018 and, later that year, won Japanese promotion Dragon Gate’s Open the Dream Gate Championship, a title he held for 229 days before dropping it in mid-2019.
What titles and factions did he hold in AEW?
PAC signed with AEW in 2019 and became the promotion’s first-ever All-Atlantic Champion — a title now called the International Championship — and a two-time AEW World Trios Champion. He co-founded the trio Death Triangle with Penta and Rey Fénix in 2020, a partnership that lasted several years, before joining Jon Moxley’s Death Riders stable in 2024. He remained a full-time AEW wrestler through his final match at All Out in September 2026.
| Promotion | Years | Ring Name |
|---|---|---|
| UK indies | 2004–2012 | Pac |
| WWE | 2012–2018 | Neville |
| Dragon Gate | 2018–2019 | Pac |
| AEW | 2019–2026 | PAC |
How is AEW honoring PAC?
AEW chairman Tony Khan announced a moment of silence and a ten-bell salute at Ring of Honor tapings in Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday, September 28, 2026, and confirmed that AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, taped in Pittsburgh, will be dedicated as a tribute to PAC. Khan wore a black armband bearing PAC’s name and said Pittsburgh was chosen in part because PAC had headlined the first AEW Dynamite ever held in that city. Wrestlers from across AEW, WWE, and the independent scene also posted public tributes following news of his death.
Satterley’s death closes out a career that ran from British independent halls to two of wrestling’s biggest stages, and it comes with a key fact still missing: what caused it. We’ll update this piece once AEW, a medical examiner’s office, or his family shares more.