The cause of death of the professional wrestler Benjamin Satterley, also referred to as "Pac," has finally been established. In a statement released by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office in Illinois on Friday, October 16, 2026, it was reported that the wrestler died of bronchial asthma, and the death was declared to be natural. Satterley died on September 27, 2026, aged 40, one day after wrestling at AEW's All Out pay-per-view event.
A spokesperson for Cook County Medical Examiner's office reported that Satterley died of bronchial asthma. It was initially reported by New York Post and was later confirmed by news organizations like NBC News, ABC7 Chicago and Deadline. The medical examiner revealed that he died just after 4 p.m. on Sunday, September 27, in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Satterley appeared in a wrestling match on September 26, at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. It was the first match of AEW All Out, and it involved him challenging Andrade El Idolo for the AEW National Championship, but he ended up losing the championship. AEW made the announcement the next day, expressing their sadness at the loss of their wrestler.
The fans attending the event said that they could not believe how fast it all happened because the same man whom they saw the previous night was no more.
Born on August 22, 1986, in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, Satterley began wrestling in 2004 and rose through the British independent scene before moving to Japan and later the United States. His career timeline includes the following:
- Early career: He had wrestled as Pac and been called "The Super Superman" and "The Man That Gravity Forgot" for his aerial maneuvers. He also wrestled in Dragongate as well as in Japan.
- WWE (2012-2018): He wrestled as Adrian Neville and held the NXT Championship, two-time NXT Tag Team Championship, and two-time Cruiserweight Championship.
- AEW (2019-2026): He was one of the wrestlers who signed with this promotion and was the two-time AEW World Trios Championship with Death Triangle, and he won the All-Atlantic Championship in 2022.
- He went back to using the name Pac after he left WWE and then took up the character of "The Bastard" until his death; at that time, he was part of the Death Riders faction.
Wrestling writers and colleagues have described Satterley as one of the most athletic performers of his generation, known for speed, precision, and power. NBC News noted that he rarely broke character in the ring, yet his death revealed the humility and kindness behind the persona. Marina Shafir, a fellow Death Riders member, said hours after his death that he was modest about how fascinating he was.
Paul Heyman, Hall of Famer for the World Wrestling Entertainment organization, stated that he was "a truly terrible loss" and praised Satterley for being a tremendously talented individual and an even better person. Wrestlers from all over, not only those from WWE but from other wrestling organizations like AEW and from the independents, paid their respects to Satterley.
Bronchial asthma is a lung disease where the passages become inflamed and narrowed, thus causing problems breathing.
Most patients control the illness with the use of drugs and prevent major health issues, but there have been fatal attacks that occur suddenly. According to the doctors, anyone having such symptoms, including athletes, should be receiving proper treatment. Further details of his death were not given out by the medical examiner.
Benjamin Satterley was married to Natalie, whom he married in 2015. His family has requested privacy in light of his passing. Fans from all over the world continue to pay tribute to him, and there have been moments of silence for him in several promotions.
