Benjamin Satterley dies at 40. Image via: Instagram/thepacwrestling
All Elite Wrestling announced on social media on Sunday night that Benjamin Satterley had died at 40. A native of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Satterley began his wrestling career in 2004 and went on to perform for wrestling organizations all over the world, captivating fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability. Forbes recalls a reported walkout during a Raw taping in 2017, while Yahoo Sports lists his release in 2018. Either way, the Newcastle native spent about a year on the independent circuit before joining AEW in 2019 and returning to the PAC name.
Because of how close it came to All Out, the news hit hard. Because the calendar is so tight, the questions are loud. He held the NXT Championship, won the NXT tag team titles twice and took the cruiserweight title twice. He also won the World Trios titles twice, teaming with Penta and Rey Fenix as Death Triangle.
His WWE exit is told two ways. Forbes says he spent his final days with the Death Riders. The PAC cause of death has not been disclosed, and fans are left with more questions than facts. The statement gave no details about how or where. Then came Sunday’s brief, heartbreaking announcement. In its statement, AEW posted a heartfelt tribute. “All Elite Wrestling is saddened to announce the passing of Benjamin Satterley, aka Pac. The titles followed. Forbes adds that he is the only two-time WWE cruiserweight champion and the longest-reigning one. In AEW, he became the first All-Atlantic Champion, a belt now called the International Championship.
The two-time cruiserweight champion had worked the opening match in Chicago on Saturday night, a National Championship challenge against Andrade El Idolo, and lost. PAC worked All Out in Chicago on Saturday, opening the show against Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship.