Professional wrestling has been rocked by the death of Benjamin Satterley, known in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as Pac, and Neville in his WWE career. He was 40.
AEW confirmed Satterley's death on 27 September 2026, and described the Newcastle upon Tyne-born wrestler as a man who was a high-flying and in-ring superstar who had captivated audiences around the world. The promotion did not state a cause of death.
Death Confirmed by AEW
AEW announced Satterley's death on Sunday, just one day after he had competed at the company's All Out event in Chicago.
The news was a surprise to wrestling fans because Satterley had appeared at the event on September 26. He challenged Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship in one of the show's matches, and Andrade retained the title.
As of September 28, no official information on the circumstances or cause of his death had been released.
From British Wrestling to WWE
Born on August 22, 1986 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Satterley began his professional wrestling career in 2004.
He went on to establish a reputation in the British independent wrestling scene before fighting internationally. He worked for Dragon Gate in Japan as well as other wrestling promotions.
Satterley eventually signed with WWE in 2012. He became known to WWE fans as Adrian Neville, later shortened to Neville.
NXT Made Him A Star
Neville was one of the early NXT star players during his WWE career.
He won the NXT Tag Team Championship and later captured the NXT Championship. His NXT title reign lasted 286 days, from February to December 2014, according to The Times of India.
His aerial wrestling style earned him the nickname “The Man That Gravity Forgot.” His finishing move, the Red Arrow, became one of his most recognizable moves.
He was then accepted to WWE's main roster and rose to the top in the company's cruiserweight division winning the WWE Cruiserweight Championship twice.
Pac's AEW Chapter
Satterley returned to the Pac name after WWE left in 2018 and continued to wrestle internationally.
He was one of the earliest major signings in 2019 for AEW with the promotion. He won many championships in his AEW career including the first AEW All-Atlantic Championship (the AEW International Championship was later renamed for him).
He also won the AEW World Trios Championship as part of Death Triangle alongside Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix.
Tributes pour In From Wrestling Community
News of Satterley’s death drew tributes from wrestlers and wrestling personalities.
We hear that Paul Heyman, Will Ospreay, Tony Khan, and other members of the wrestling community expressed their grief following the announcement.
Satterley’s career had lasted more than two decades and taken him from British independent wrestling to major promotions in the United States, Japan and elsewhere.
