AEW Star Pac Dies at 40, Weeks After Mourning Fellow Wrestler
All Elite Wrestling confirmed the death of Benjamin Satterley, known as Pac, who had recently paid tribute to Andy Williams.
Pro-wrestling star Benjamin Satterley, known to fans as Pac in All Elite Wrestling, has died at the age of 40, the company announced Sunday night. No cause of death was immediately provided.
Satterley's death comes just 10 days after he publicly mourned the loss of fellow wrestler Andy Williams, who died on Sept. 6 after suffering a medical episode during a match. On Sept. 17, Satterley shared a throwback photo on social media with Williams, wearing matching flame-printed bandanas.
Satterley last competed at AEW's pay-per-view event "All Out" on Saturday night at the NOW Arena in Chicago. He was known for being AEW's inaugural All-Atlantic champion and a two-time World Trios champion.
Tony Khan, AEW's owner and chief operating officer, released a statement remembering Satterley. "Benjamin Satterley defined excellence, as a beloved husband & friend to his many loved ones, + in his wrestling knowledge, skill, unprecedented athleticism, professionalism, consistency + dedication to the sport that he loved & traveled the world to pursue," Khan said. "May Ben rest in peace."
Before joining AEW in 2019, Satterley wrestled in WWE from 2012 to 2018 under the ring name "Neville." During his time in WWE, he held the WWE Cruiserweight Championship, the NXT Championship, and the NXT Tag Team Championship.
Williams, 48, died after knocking his head against a ring post during a tag-team match in Millvale, Pennsylvania, and subsequently collapsing. Known to wrestling fans as "The Butcher" and as the guitarist for the band "Every Time I Die," Williams was given CPR at the scene before being transported to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed Williams died following a medical crisis, but did not state a preliminary cause of death.
Williams' father, Frank, described his son as a loyal friend in a statement to WIVB. "Anybody who knew Andy, they were his friend," he said. "If he had a dollar in his pocket and you needed it, he would try to get you a dollar and a quarter. He was that type of guy where money meant nothing to him, friendship meant everything, and that was my son."