Josh Alexander has shared an emotional recollection of his final conversation with Benjamin Satterley, the wrestler widely known as PAC, describing the former AEW champion as the best performer in the company and reflecting on the regret that can follow an unexpected loss.
The wrestling community has continued to mourn Satterley following his death, with tributes emerging from across the industry. For Alexander, the loss carried a particularly personal weight because he had recently made a point of telling PAC exactly how highly he regarded his work. The AEW wrestler recalled a discussion with Marina Shafir in which others were debating the company’s best wrestler. Alexander said he felt compelled to offer a definitive answer.
“It’s Ben,” Alexander said. “Ben, to me, is the best wrestler in this company and I don’t think it’s insane to say that.”
Alexander’s comments speak to the level of reverence PAC commanded among his peers. Over the course of his AEW tenure, PAC was a former AEW All-Atlantic Champion and World Trios Champion, achievements that only scratch the surface of why his reputation was so strong. His work in the ring, intensity on camera, and ability to bring urgency to virtually any match made him one of the promotion’s most distinctive presences.
For more background on this topic, read Steven Borden Says Sting’s AEW Revolution Farewell Sparked His Decision to Wrestle.
While fans often debate the deepest roster in wrestling and the many names worthy of being called elite, Alexander’s perspective was rooted less in a broad ranking than in firsthand respect. He had watched PAC operate in the same environment, shared space with him backstage, and came away convinced that Satterley belonged at the very top of the conversation.
A Conversation Alexander Wanted PAC to Hear
After the exchange with Shafir, Alexander saw PAC again and decided not to leave his appreciation as an offhand backstage discussion between others. He told Satterley that he and Shafir had been talking about him, and that they believed he was AEW’s best wrestler.
PAC’s response, as Alexander remembered it, reflected the humility that stood out to those who knew him. Rather than accepting the praise as something he was owed, Satterley pushed back and suggested that other people were better.
“Oh, mate, thank you so much,” PAC told Alexander, before downplaying the compliment.
That modest response has stayed with Alexander. It was not simply that he got to express admiration for a colleague whose work meant so much to him. It was the fact that PAC’s instinct was to redirect praise toward the people around him, even as Alexander saw him as a standard-bearer inside AEW.
Alexander said his final words to PAC were lighthearted. He told him he would see him the following Wednesday, would continue to tease him, and would remind him of the praise again. At the time, it was a normal goodbye between wrestlers expecting to cross paths at the next television taping. In hindsight, it became a devastating memory.
“I’m gonna see you on Wednesday. I’m gonna bust your balls again. I’m gonna remind you,” Alexander recalled saying.
The realization that there would not be another Wednesday together profoundly affected him. Alexander explained that he now wishes he had more directly said thank you, told PAC he loved him, and expressed what Satterley meant to him. The experience has reinforced a message that is often voiced in the wake of tragedy but can be difficult to carry into day-to-day life: tell people what they mean to you while there is still an opportunity to do so.
Loss Has Prompted a Wider Conversation
Alexander addressed the tendency for people to make vows after someone dies, promising to take more photos with friends or to stop hesitating before sharing affection and gratitude. He noted that those intentions can fade after a few weeks as ordinary routines return. In the aftermath of Satterley’s death, however, Alexander said he and others had reached a point where they did not want those commitments to disappear again.
He referenced the death of Andy Williams as another moment that had brought similar thoughts to the surface. Alexander’s larger point was not about public statements or performative grief. It was about changing the way people speak to one another in the often demanding and fast-moving world of professional wrestling.
Wrestlers spend long stretches traveling, preparing for matches, waiting at venues, and moving from one obligation to the next. Backstage conversations can be brief. Goodbyes can be casual because another show, another flight, or another television taping is assumed to be just around the corner. Alexander’s story is a painful reminder that those assumptions are not guarantees.
He said that after Satterley’s passing, he began telling every person he said goodbye to—and who meant something to him—that he loved them. The lesson he took from his final exchange with PAC was clear: appreciation should not be reserved for retrospective tributes or private conversations with others. It is worth saying directly, even when doing so feels awkward, overly sentimental, or unnecessary in the moment.
PAC’s Standing Among His Peers
Alexander’s declaration that PAC was AEW’s best wrestler will naturally resonate with viewers who followed Satterley’s career closely. PAC had a rare ability to make nearly every aspect of his presentation feel urgent. His athletic style was matched by a physicality and emotional intensity that gave his matches a unique identity. Whether competing in singles action or as part of a team, he brought a sense that the action could shift at any moment.
His accomplishments in AEW also reflected his importance to the company. The AEW All-Atlantic Championship and the World Trios Championship placed him among the promotion’s titleholders, but championships alone did not define his value. PAC was recognized for the consistency of his performances and for how believable he made the stakes of a match feel.
Alexander’s remarks also underline an important part of how wrestlers evaluate one another. Fans may focus on win-loss records, championships, match ratings, or the volume of television time a performer receives. The people who share a locker room often recognize additional qualities: preparation, toughness, reliability, creativity, presence, and the ability to elevate everyone involved in a segment or match. Alexander’s assessment was a personal one, but it came from that peer-level understanding of what PAC brought to AEW.
The fact that Satterley reportedly responded by crediting others only deepened the impression Alexander was left with. Great performers are not always comfortable accepting praise, particularly when they view wrestling as a collective effort and recognize the talent around them. In Alexander’s telling, PAC’s humility was inseparable from the performer he admired.
A Tribute Show and a Lasting Message
Alexander competed in the main event of AEW’s tribute show for PAC, an event that gave the roster and audience an opportunity to honor Satterley’s life and legacy. Alexander did not frame his participation around a result or personal spotlight. Instead, his reflection centered on the human side of loss: the conversations that happen, the words that go unsaid, and the things people wish they could repeat one more time.
That perspective gives his story an impact beyond any one match or championship. Alexander did get to give PAC his flowers. He did tell him, face-to-face, that he believed he was the best wrestler in AEW. Even with the sorrow connected to their final goodbye, that direct expression of respect remains meaningful.
At the same time, Alexander has been candid that the experience changed him. His account is not a tidy lesson where grief is resolved by one heartfelt conversation. It is a recognition that nobody knows when a casual farewell may be the last one, and that love and appreciation should not be delayed.
PAC’s in-ring legacy will continue to be remembered through the matches, title reigns, and moments that made him such a singular talent. For Alexander, the memory is also rooted in a brief backstage exchange: a sincere compliment, a humble response, and an expectation of seeing a friend again only days later. It is a deeply human reminder of why those words matter when they can still be heard.
Alexander is next scheduled to compete at Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling’s Northern Rising event.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.