AEW star Pac is dead at 40. He wrestled in front of thousands of fans at All Out just one day earlier. All Elite Wrestling announced the news on Sunday night, September 27. Satterley was the English high-flyer known to fans as Pac in AEW and Neville in WWE. As a result, the wrestling world has been plunged into mourning.
Pac Dead at 40: What We Know
AEW confirmed Satterley’s death in an official statement on Sunday evening. In it, the promotion praised him as a wrestler who “captivated fans with innovative high-flying moves and incredible in-ring ability.” However, AEW did not disclose a cause of death.
Meanwhile, local reports have filled in some details. According to Fightful, citing the Daily Herald, a passerby spotted Satterley unresponsive in a rental car in Des Plaines, Illinois. The passerby called 911. Meanwhile, local authorities said he was alone, and there were no indications of foul play or trauma. He was pronounced dead at 4:08 p.m. local time. An official cause of death has not been determined and remains pending an autopsy.
What makes the timing so jarring, in fact, is how recently he was on screen. Satterley wrestled on Saturday night, September 26, at AEW’s All Out pay-per-view at the NOW Arena near Chicago. He faced Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship in the show’s opening match. He also appeared during the main event alongside his Death Riders teammates.
Triple H and Tony Khan Lead the Tributes
Tributes poured in almost immediately from across the wrestling world. WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque posted a heartfelt message on X on September 28. He had worked closely with Satterley during his WWE run as Neville.
Triple H recalled Neville’s NXT Championship victory over Bo Dallas in a ladder match at NXT Arrival in February 2014. He called it the start of a new era for the brand. “He was an extraordinary talent and even kinder human being,” Triple H added. “My thoughts are with his family, friends, and fans across the world.”
WWE honored Satterley on Monday night’s Raw as well. The show opened with a “WWE Remembers Benjamin Satterley ‘Neville'” graphic. Bayley, Penta, and Becky Lynch wore “Ben” and “Pac” armbands during the broadcast.
AEW president Tony Khan delivered an emotional tribute of his own. He spoke ahead of Monday’s Ring of Honor tapings in Jacksonville, Florida. Khan wore a black armband with “PAC” written on it. He then led the crowd in a moment of silence and a ten-bell salute. He called Satterley “an absolutely fantastic wrestler and an absolutely fantastic human being,” according to Wrestling Inc.
“From the very beginning,” Khan said, “he was somebody I knew would be a big part of the company. And somebody outside of wrestling who became a big part of my life.”
What Comes Next: An AEW Dynamite Tribute Show
Khan announced that this Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite will be a full tribute show honoring Pac. It airs September 30 from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at 8 p.m. ET on TBS and HBO Max. In addition, Khan revealed that every wrestler competing on Wednesday is doing so voluntarily, out of love for Satterley.
Remembering the Man That Gravity Forgot
Benjamin Satterley was born on August 22, 1986, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He started wrestling professionally in 2004 on the British independent scene. He soon built a reputation across Japan and the United States as a gifted aerial wrestler. Fans nicknamed him “The Man That Gravity Forgot.” His corkscrew 450 splash, the Red Arrow, became one of wrestling’s most famous finishing moves.
WWE signed him in 2012, where he competed as Adrian Neville. First of all, he captured the NXT Championship. Then he added two NXT Tag Team titles and two WWE Cruiserweight Championships, earning the nickname “King of the Cruiserweights.” After leaving WWE in 2018, he joined AEW at its 2019 launch and never looked back. He became the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Champion in 2022. He also won the AEW World Trios Championship twice, including at Wembley in 2024.
Fellow English star Will Ospreay described him as a “hero” and one of England’s “greatest exports.” Newcastle United, the football club he supported, shared its condolences as well. But beyond the titles and the unforgettable matches, colleagues remembered a humble, kind man who loved the craft. Our hearts go out to his family as the wrestling world says goodbye.
Pac’s death at 40 comes just weeks after fellow AEW wrestler Andy Williams, known as The Butcher, died at 48. For more on the stars we have lost this month, see our living tribute, Celebrities We Lost in September 2026, and our full-year remembrance. Fans also mourned Dennis Haskins, TV’s beloved Mr. Belding, who died at 75 just days earlier.
From Dragon Gate to WWE to AEW, he spent more than two decades redefining aerial wrestling. For fans who grew up watching him defy gravity, the news still feels impossible. Finally, on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, the wrestling world will get its chance to say goodbye. One more ten-bell salute for the man that gravity forgot.