I didn’t watch this past Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view because a sinus infection had me down for the count. After scouring Twitter for live results, I saw that the opening contest, Pac vs. Andrade for the AEW National Championship, got rave reviews.
“Pac got another one” I said to myself. Another standout match that highlighted a truly great wrestler.
AEW announced on Sunday the passing of Benjamin Satterley, also known as Pac. Satterley, age 40, was found in a rental car in the parking lot of a CAVA restaurant in Des Plaines, IL, across from the Allstate Arena, where All Out occurred the night before.
Authorities arrived at the scene around 4:00 pm, and Satterly was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Authorities confirmed there was no trauma or foul play involved.
Whether it’s Dragon Gate, WWE, AEW, or the U.K. scene, Pac was a standout wrestler everywhere he worked. Before reaching prime time, Pac’s reputation resembled that of an underground rapper whose raw lyricism connected with everyone.
Instead of singing, Pac relied on intense, effortlessly stylish athleticism, which helped his reputation grow. He was a different kind of high-flyer, an innovator in a modern scene where innovation had become common. Battles with CIMA and El Generico in Dragon Gate and PWG were the highlights of his mixtape.
It’s fitting that Generico and Pac worked their magic together in NXT. Now known as Sami Zayn and Adrian Neville, respectively, their 2014 NXT TakeOver match is regarded as one of the best from the brand’s black-and-gold era.
For everything Pac brought to the table as a pro wrestler, his name wasn’t on the tip of every fan’s tongue as is the case with other wrestlers. If talent were the primary metric for success, Pac would have been a star of the highest magnitude. In other words, Pac was criminally underrated.
Pac’s pre-pandemic Iron Man match with Kenny Omega in 2020 is one of the best pro wrestling matches I’ve ever seen. Every time I saw Pac wrestle in a big match, I thought, “Wow, Pac might be the best wrestler in the world.” As time went on, Pac would churn out one stellar performance after another. After a while, I would just say “He got another one” every time Pac had an impressive moment.
On Saturday at All Out, Pac got another one.
Over the last several months, Pac changed his in-ring attire from trunks to long tights with a singlet top. It’s a look reminiscent of the Dynamite Kid, a revered wrestler Pac was often compared to. Both were revolutionary wrestlers of their era whose exceptional skills made them revered around the world, admired by their peers and studied by those looking to break in.
Man, the way Pac floated over while taking a vertical suplex was masterful.
If your looking for a match that not only exhibits Pac’s abilities but is a fun example of pro wrestling hijinks, check out his match against Orange Cassidy. It’s essentially a one-match variety show with something for everyone.
Talking about someone’s wrestling accomplishments after they pass feels strange. Benjamin is more important than any well-booked match Pac ever had. But that’s the side of him most people knew. The artistry of a gravity-defying athlete gave us a glimpse into why Benjamin Satterley was so highly regarded by his peers.
AEW Dynamite will say goodbye to Benjamin “Pac” Satterley on Wednesday, beginning at 8:00 PM EST, live on TBS and HBO Max.
