William Regal has delivered a major endorsement of PAC, calling the AEW performer the best wrestler to emerge from England since the 1980s.
Regal, one of the most respected British wrestlers of his generation and now WWE’s Vice-President for Global Talent Development, shared the assessment after encountering PAC on a plane home from Mexico. His praise was not a casual compliment. Regal framed PAC’s work through the lens of credibility, toughness, and the distinctly physical style that shaped his own career.
“I’m on a plane going home from Mexico and on it with PAC,” Regal wrote. “1 of my favorite people in the Wrestling. IMO the best Wrestler to come out of England since the 80’s and they were Rollerball Rocco, Marty Jones and Fit Finlay.”
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That is exceptionally high company for PAC. Rollerball Rocco, Marty Jones, and Fit Finlay are names associated with the rugged reputation of British and European professional wrestling. Regal’s statement placed PAC in direct conversation with performers who were celebrated for technical ability, physical intensity, and an ability to make a match feel authentic.
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Regal made clear that his opinion was not intended as a dismissal of Britain’s current pool of talent. The United Kingdom has produced an extensive list of acclaimed wrestlers in recent decades, with many building international reputations across WWE, AEW, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, CMLL, independent promotions, and elsewhere. Still, Regal believes PAC occupies a different place because of the way he projects danger and aggression inside the ring.
“That’s no knock on the incredible UK talent around today but I come from a time and style where being credible was part of the job,” Regal said. “PAC is the only wrestler that when I see him wrestle I think he can beat me up and his wrestling is so much more aggressive and credible.”
The remark underlines the particular quality Regal sees in PAC’s presentation. PAC has long combined explosive athleticism with a confrontational in-ring demeanor. Whether working in AEW, competing internationally, or appearing under his former WWE name, Neville, he has generally been portrayed as a wrestler whose speed and aerial ability are matched by a relentless, hostile edge.
For Regal, that combination is central. His own background came from an era in which wrestlers were often judged heavily on whether audiences could believe in the contest and the competitors. Regal’s career took him from the British wrestling scene to WCW and then WWE, where he became known for his technical approach, hard-hitting style, and memorable character work. His present role in WWE talent development makes his view of ring credibility particularly notable, even if he explicitly presented it as a personal opinion rather than an objective ranking.
PAC’s standing in the broader wrestling landscape has been built over years of consistently high-level performances. He has wrestled with a level of urgency that makes even short stretches of offense feel consequential, and he has maintained a recognizable identity despite working in multiple promotions and wrestling environments. His intensity has allowed him to fit naturally into matches against wrestlers with dramatically different styles, from high-flyers to power wrestlers and technical specialists.
Regal added that there are numerous British performers he admires, but he does not view any of them as favorably as PAC.
“Again, there’s brilliant UK wrestlers who I rate highly and am huge fans of but not as much as him,” Regal wrote. “That’s just me and my opinion.”
The praise arrives after a busy weekend in Mexico for both men. PAC competed for CMLL and was defeated by Máscara Dorada. PAC’s appearance continued his work beyond AEW and reflected the international reach of his schedule. CMLL has been an important destination for wrestlers from multiple major promotions, and PAC’s presence in Mexico offered another opportunity for him to showcase the aggressive style Regal highlighted.
Regal was also in Mexico City for a significant stretch of events. He attended WWE Raw, WWE SmackDown, and night two of AAA TripleMania 34. The overlap in travel led to Regal and PAC being on the same flight, creating the setting for Regal’s public reflection on PAC’s standing among English wrestlers.
Regal’s comments also revisited one of PAC’s most celebrated performances from his WWE run. Before joining AEW, PAC wrestled as Neville and was widely praised for his athletic performances in WWE. Regal singled out Neville’s match with Aleister Black during the United Kingdom tournament in Blackpool as one of his favorite bouts that he has seen live over the past two decades.
“Neville v Aleister Black from the UK tournament in Blackpool is one of my favourite bouts I saw live in the last 20 years,” Regal wrote.
The match has retained a strong reputation among viewers who followed the tournament and the early era of WWE’s UK-focused programming. PAC and Black brought contrasting but compatible styles to the bout: PAC’s blistering pace and crisp impact met Black’s measured striking and composure. Regal’s decision to cite it while explaining his admiration for PAC illustrates how highly he rates not only PAC’s persona and believability, but his ability to produce memorable major-match performances.
Regal also compared that bout to a more recent match, adding that Roman Reigns versus Penta from the previous night belonged in the same conversation for him.
“Last nights Roman v Penta rates up there with it,” Regal said.
While Regal did not expand on either match in detail, the comparison gives an indication of the level at which he places them. In choosing Neville versus Aleister Black as a personal benchmark, Regal pointed to a contest that blended physicality, urgency, and a strong sense of competition. His inclusion of Roman Reigns versus Penta suggests he saw similarly compelling qualities in that more recent encounter.
The connection between Regal and PAC extends beyond this chance meeting in Mexico. The two were both part of AEW in 2022, giving them a brief opportunity to interact in the company. Regal’s AEW tenure became closely linked with the formation of the Blackpool Combat Club, a group initially built around a hard-nosed, combat-oriented identity.
PAC would later become part of the Death Riders in 2024. The stable was connected to the group Regal had helped establish two years earlier when it was still known as the Blackpool Combat Club. That shared association adds another layer to Regal’s comments, though his praise focused squarely on PAC as a wrestler rather than on their proximity within AEW’s evolving factions.
It is also notable that Regal chose to emphasize PAC’s ability to look capable of genuinely hurting an opponent. Modern wrestling can reward a wide range of skills: aerial innovation, character development, technical execution, promo ability, stamina, and spectacle. Regal’s evaluation centered on something more elemental. He sees PAC as someone whose offense, body language, intensity, and overall approach preserve the impression that a fight is taking place.
That quality has been central to PAC’s appeal throughout his career. He can execute demanding athletic sequences, but he rarely presents them with a light or purely exhibition-oriented tone. His matches often carry an edge that makes his movement feel less like choreography and more like an attempt to overwhelm an opponent. Regal’s comments suggest that this balance is what separates PAC in his eyes from an already deep generation of British talent.
Regal concluded by making it clear that he was not inviting a debate over his ranking.
“No need to argue as I don’t read comments,” Regal wrote.
Whether or not fans agree with every part of the comparison, the statement is a substantial vote of confidence from a figure whose career spans British wrestling, WCW, WWE, AEW, and talent development. Regal has seen multiple generations of performers at close range. In PAC, he sees a modern English wrestler who carries forward the intensity and credibility he associates with some of the most respected names of the 1980s.
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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.