Remembering Pac: 6 Great Matches From The Late AEW & WWE Star

On Sunday, the wrestling world was rocked by the untimely death of Benjamin Satterley, known professionally as Pac in AEW and Neville during his time in WWE. Satterley had just wrestled at AEW All Out 2026 the night before in what turned out to be the final match of his 22-year career. He was 40 years old.

In honor of Pac — and ahead of what's sure to be an emotional tribute show to the late star on tonight's "AEW Dynamite — the Wrestling Inc. staff turned back the clock, shining a spotlight on some of Satterley's greatest matches in a list spanning his time in WWE, AEW, and beyond. To be clear, a full list of Pac's best matches would be too long for us to feasibly construct — that's how good his overall body of work is. We had to pick and choose a bit, but we think we've come up with a list that reflects Satterley's remarkable career to the best of our ability. Here are six great matches performed by the late Pac.

Almost 20 years ago, Pac challenged El Generico for the PWG World Championship at All Star Weekend, a rematch of their bout from the year before that went that step further, etching itself in the immense saga that became Neville vs Sami Zayn in WWE. 

This match was just wall-to-wall action with near-falls and high spots aplenty. And given the very why of this column, it's warming to see a style here that has been emulated and woven into the fabric of wrestling in the years since. This is one of those matches to be used as a benchmark for what professional wrestling can be.

This match features an intimate, super intense crowd and two young wrestlers who were unaware they would become the stars they did. As beautiful as the final diamond can be, there is something to be found in the process before. The beauty is in the possibility, and the impossibility — two wrestlers asking what is and what can be, creating something that was never thought of before. 

There were moments watching this match in which retrospect became part of that beauty, knowing what both men become blanketing the bout with significance. One can watch this and envision that WWE scouts had this exact match in mind when putting together the early years of Black and Gold. One can watch this knowing that, though Pac did not get the win on the day, he became a quintessential figure in the best parts of modern wrestling.

He helped build "WWE NXT," he put Dragon Gate back on the map, and he became an AEW original, irreplaceable in the ring or merely in presence. He was the man that gravity forgot, something wrestling — those within it, and those supporting it — cannot do. This was almost 20 years ago, and this list runs up the decades since. That was Pac, evergreen and perennial. Rest in power you beautiful b******.

Written by Max Everett

The last time I wrote about this match for Wrestling Inc., I noted that I had already written about it so many times that it was hard to know what to say. Obviously I managed to write about it again, and of course the bulk of that mini-essay involved Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens, two of my favorite wrestlers, whose years of entwined lore informed both this match and its immediate aftermath.

This time — after the most difficult re-watch I've ever done — I know exactly what to talk about, and it has little to do with Sami Zayn or Kevin Owens. The late Adrian Neville, aka Pac, was another of my favorite wrestlers, and his incredible work in this match should not be overlooked. The story of Zayn vs. Neville, which is about Zayn finally climbing the mountain and claiming the NXT Championship while still remaining true to himself and his morals, simply would not be possible without Neville's perfect performance as Zayn's final boss, which begins from the moment he comes out on stage, smirking confidently, his music and body language painting the picture of a machine of a man, calculating and controlled, unable to even fathom the idea of losing.

The classic match formula begins with the babyface on top, thrilling the crowd with their offense before being cut off by the heel. Not so here — Neville is in control from the jump, getting the better of every wrestling exchange by virtue of his astounding body control and technical ability. The opening sequences establish Neville as seemingly impossible to beat — how can you overcome someone who flips out of an offensive maneuver like it's nothing, wagging his finger in your face for daring to contemplate taking him down? Even Neville's selling, when he does finally begin to sell, speaks a language of contemptuous disbelief, as though he can't understand how this upstart has managed a single successful move.

Neville/Pac was never WWE Champion or AEW World Champion, but he was the most important figure in "NXT" during its first year on the WWE Network, a vital time for the brand. His work in this match shows us how good he was at being the ace of a promotion, the top champion of a wrestling show who appears utterly unstoppable. Zayn does stop him, of course, but the victory is only meaningful because of the staggering challenge Neville represents. His presence, his power, his peerless skill — all these are on display here, and the greatness of this match mirrors his personal greatness. Neville vs. Zayn is an all-time classic, but only because Neville/Pac was an all-time wrestler.

Written by Miles Schneiderman

Known simply as Neville at the time, the once and future Pac was officially crowned "King of the Cruiserweights" when he defeated Rich Swann at Royal Rumble 2017 to become the Cruiserweight Champion. Upon his arrival on "205 Live," Neville had attacked Swann and Austin Aries and gave himself the "King" moniker. With this win, he became the third champion to hold the title for the purple brand. 

Swann and Neville were evenly matched, and the pace picked up when Neville became more methodical. Commentary felt he was stalking his opponent before going in for his revenge. Swann got back on equal footing and briefly gained the upperhand. Once again angered, Neville landed a superplex before cinching in The Brutalizer. Swann tapped and Neville left it locked in for a little longer before basking in his win and being given his new crown.

Neville held the title for 197 days during his first reign. He would regain the title at SummerSlam on the kickoff show, which was the beginning of the end. "The Man That Gravity Forgot" would leave WWE in November before his contract was eventually frozen for eight months. In this match, fans can see glimpses of the character that would later appear in AEW. He was calculated and balanced his aerial skills with precise, tactical moves that made him lethal.

Written by Samantha Schipman

The beginning of 2020 was truly a special time to be a fan of All Elite Wrestling as the company had found its first groove heading into the inaugural Revolution pay-per-view, and it felt like you were watching a company that was evolving into something very special. Two of the reasons for that were Pac and Kenny Omega.

Their feud in the early days of AEW is still talked about to this day because of how good it was, but their Iron Man Match from the February 26 episode of "AEW Dynamite" wasn't just good — it was one of the best wrestling matches that has ever aired on free television.

This match is so well structured. Tying in some call-backs to their first two bouts, Pac eventually gains control with a Tornado DDT on the outside and spends the rest of the match targeting Omega's neck to set up the Brutalizer. However, Omega had learned how to deal with Pac from the other matches and halfway through things, Pac gets visibly panicked and takes a shortcut. A chair shot gives Omega the first fall by disqualification, but Pac isn't phased as he hits a picture perfect Black Arrow, his killshot that no one kicks out of, to set up a second half that needs to be seen to be believed.

Falcon Arrows off the apron to the floor, Shooting Star Presses to the outside through tables, a Croyt's Wrath on Pac that looks so disgusting it gets one of the biggest pops of the entire match. Jim Ross on commentary said "These guys are torturing each other," and that's the best way to put it because they put each other through hell in this one. Omega manages to barely hang on until the end of the match as all of Pac's hard work of attacking Omega's neck nearly pay off as the last three minutes of the bout is just Omega desperately trying to get out of the Brutalizer.

When the 30 minutes are up, there is a unique reaction from the crowd in that there's no booing or chants for five more minutes like most stereotypical endings of this nature. Everyone is more than happy to say 'Yes, these guys are as good as each other,' but we get the Sudden Death overtime and after giving everything he had, Pac has nothing left. He eats two V-Triggers, a One-Winged Angel, and Omega emerges victorious from one of the bets TV wrestling matches you will ever see. 

Of course, what makes this match even more impressive is you can argue that it wasn't even the best match Pac had that week.

Written by Sam Palmer

Simply put, a lot of the wrestlers who have Pac's athletic abilities tend to slack on the performance/acting side of professional wrestling. Pac was a triple threat: he had the physique, he had the athleticism, and he was an incredible actor, unwilling to be lazy and rest on his physical gifts. He never would've been able to make "The B******" work unless you really believed, somewhere in your heart, that he was a b******. Pac was practically a Saturday morning cartoon villain.

His 2020 match with Orange Cassidy is a testament to his ability to play a bridge troll who hates all things fun and whimsical. Cassidy is something of a trial-by-fire in that way, as you will either be able to play off his goofy nature or you won't. Pac was one of the best. Cassidy brought his usual schtick to the match, and the way Pac seemed infuriated by his Bug Bunny antics was utterly hilarious. It's not the longest match in the world, roughly 13 minutes, but the two men made the most of their time.

Looking back, it feels like the epitome of pre-pandemic AEW. It was a company in its nascent stages, and for every misstep like the Cody vs. Anthony Ogogo feud, there was magic like what Pac and Cassidy delivered.

Written by Ross Berman

AEW All Out 2024 was an absolutely massive pay-per-view, with "Hangman" Adam Page and Swerve Strickland's lights out steel cage match capping off the event, right after Jon Moxley shockingly turned heel on AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson. Earlier in the night, Pac and his incredible athletic abilities were on display against another incredibly gifted athlete, Will Ospreay, and the pair did their best to steal the show. They fought for the AEW International Championship, and despite his loss, it was one of Pac's best matches.

In their first singles bout in AEW, Pac and Ospreay put on a banger that lasted just over 20 minutes. Before they even locked up, the entire arena was on their feet in anticipation, and Pac pulled a "B******" move and got out of the ring in an attempt to quiet them down. Commentary mentioned that Pac, one of the best British high-flyers in history, walked so stars like Ospreay could run.

The match was fast-paced from the get-go, and the stars couldn't keep one another down. They traded wicked Sky Twisters from the top to the outside and battered one another both in and outside of the ring. Ospreay was already fighting neck issues, noticeable thanks to the tape on his neck during the match, and Pac targeted it throughout the bout, though initially in more unique, interesting ways with moves like an Avalanche Brainbuster and a Liger Bomb, before outright pump kicking the base of his neck.

The justified "fight forever" chants started about halfway through the match, after Pac dodged a Hidden Blade and kicked out of the Os-Cutter. He continued to target Ospreay's neck with a suplex to the apron, followed by the poisonrana, before locking in the Brutalizer in the middle of the ring. Ospreay countered the Black Arrow by getting his knees up, and the match moved on to a wild flurry of offense typical of Ospreay matches, kicked up a notch or two with Pac as his opponent.

In the end, Ospreay looked for the Stormbreaker, and Pac countered into the poisonrana. Ospreay managed to pull out the Styles Clash into the Hidden Blade for the victory and title retention. It was one of those matches that left fans breathless, and in need of a break to soak in what they had witnessed.

The match's Cagematch rating reflects that, sitting at a 9.25 with 909 votes as of this writing. Pac vs. Ospreay was also one of the highest-rated star matches of 2024 by Dave Meltzer, who gave the bout five-and-a-half stars. It's also the only Pac match to receive five stars or greater from Meltzer, showing how perfect these two were as dance partners.

Written by Daisy Ruth