AEW has released an extended collection of tributes to PAC following Wednesday night’s special episode of Dynamite.
The September 30 edition of AEW Dynamite from the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania was dedicated to the late PAC, real name Benjamin Satterley, with tributes to the former AEW star featured throughout the broadcast.
Following the show, AEW released an additional video running nearly 50 minutes featuring wrestlers, referees and other members of the company sharing their memories of PAC.
Bryan Danielson opened the video with an emotional message thanking PAC for his friendship, professionalism and the person he was behind the scenes.
“Ben, I just want to thank you for being my friend for all these years. Thank you for all the laughs. Thank you for being there during hard times. Thank you for the professionalism that you brought to this job. And thank you for being a trustworthy person,” Danielson said.
“Thank you for playing all my silly games even when you didn’t want to. Thank you for just being the man that you are.”
Danielson recalled how PAC would become uncomfortable whenever his friends showered him with praise, something Danielson and Jon Moxley would deliberately do in an attempt to get him to break character.
“One of my favorite things about Ben is that when you give him really, really outrageously big compliments, he gets a little shy, right? A little embarrassed,” Danielson said. “And I love to do that to him.”
Danielson said that while PAC would probably consider the outpouring of love following his passing to be “a bit too much,” every word and every tear was deserved.
“Ben, all these things that we’re saying, you’re worthy of all of them,” Danielson said. “And all these tears. You’re worthy of all these tears. You really are.”
“Ben, I love you. I miss you. We love you and we miss you. And that ‘we’ encompasses so many people. I’ll see you on the other side. Ben, love you.”
The Young Bucks also participated in the tribute, reflecting on a relationship with PAC that stretched back roughly two decades.
Nick Jackson called PAC an “AEW OG” and spoke about how difficult it has become to continue losing friends from the wrestling business.
“Ben, you’re an AEW OG, man. We don’t got much left of us OGs around this company, so this hurts,” Jackson said. “You were here from the beginning. You mean so much to Matt and I and the entire locker room, the whole wrestling world. We’re all mourning you.”
“I’m getting so sick of collecting these armbands. It’s not fair. Life is just not fair sometimes.”
The Bucks then recalled working with PAC in Japan when they were young wrestlers trying to find their way in Dragon Gate. They credited PAC with helping them adjust to life in Japan and teaching them the proper etiquette expected of wrestlers in the promotion.
“You took care of us 20 years ago in Japan. I was just an 18-year-old, just scared to death,” Nick recalled. “But you showed us the ropes. You showed us where to go eat. You showed us what to do in Japan.”
The Bucks also revealed that PAC was responsible for helping create one of their signature moves, More Bang For Your Buck.
“I remember being in the dojo and you came up with More Bang For Your Buck. That was you, Ben,” Matt Jackson said.
According to the Bucks, PAC wasn’t impressed enough with the original version of the move and encouraged them to add another high-flying element.
“You said our original one was not cool enough. ‘You guys got to go off the top rope. Come on, mate. This isn’t good enough,’” they recalled. “More Bang For Your Buck, man. It was created by you.”
When AEW was being formed years later, the Bucks said there was never any question in their minds that PAC needed to be part of the roster.
“We knew when we were starting AEW, we had to have you on the roster. We had to have you,” Matt said. “We knew you were one of the best wrestlers in the world. So we told Tony Khan, we’re like, ‘This is the guy. We need him.’”
The Bucks closed by remembering their more recent conversations with PAC away from wrestling, including talks about his home, gym, greenhouse and their families.
“This hurts, man. You’re 40 years old. You should be with us,” Nick said. “You look like a Greek god. It doesn’t make sense.”
“You’re just the sweetest dude. We love you, man.”
AEW’s extended tribute also included messages from Kofi, Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Roderick Strong, Tommaso Ciampa, Andrade El Idolo, Britt Baker, Brody King, Renee Paquette, Dustin Rhodes and many others.
PAC passed away on September 27 at the age of 40.
