Medical Examiner Rules 40-Year-Old Wrestler PAC's Death Natural After Bronchial Asthma

Q: What hidden medical struggles did the high-flying wrestling star endure behind the scenes before his tragic discovery near a Chicago airport?

He was battling bronchial asthma, a chronic respiratory disease that can suddenly become life-threatening when inflamed airways tighten and restrict breathing. The Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled that condition as Benjamin Satterley’s cause of death and classified the manner of death as natural. Behind the scenes, that means the high-flying star was living with a serious medical condition that may not have been visible to fans watching him perform. Publicly available reporting has not identified any other hidden illness, and officials have not released further medical details beyond the asthma finding. Satterley, 40, was found unresponsive in Des Plaines, Illinois, about a day after wrestling at AEW’s “All Out” event near Chicago. Reporting tied to the police response said he was discovered in a vehicle outside a restaurant, with no signs of trauma, foul play or suspicious circumstances. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The shock in wrestling came partly because he had competed the night before and, by witness accounts, appeared healthy. But severe asthma can escalate rapidly, even in someone who seems outwardly fit. That appears to be the hidden medical struggle at the center of his sudden death.

3 articles · Updated · Fightful · Oct 17

Cook County's medical examiner said Benjamin Satterley, the wrestler known as PAC, died from bronchial asthma and officially ruled the death natural.
Satterley, 40, died on Sept. 27, one day after wrestling Andrade El Idolo in the opening match at AEW All Out.
AEW announced his death on Sunday, and tributes have since come from wrestlers across promotions, including those who knew him as Neville in WWE.