Published: 2 minutes ago by Sanchez Taylor | Last Updated: 5 hours ago by Sanchez Taylor
Sanchez has over six years of pro-wrestling news writing experience, covering the biggest news stories in WWE, NXT, AEW, TNA Wrestling and more. He has personally interviewed a number of top stars, producing exclusive content with the likes of AEW's Swerve Strickland and WWE's Nick Aldis.
WWE
Benjamin Satterley – who wrestled in WWE as Adrian Neville and in AEW and elsewhere as Pac – has passed away at the age of 40.
Pac amazed fans in arenas all over the world, showcasing his impressive athleticism in WWE, AEW, ROH, PWG, Dragongate, and many other promotions.
Nicknamed “The Man that Gravity Forgot” in WWE, Satterley had this incredible ability to make fans believe in the impossible, an ability which saw him compete in the company under numerous characters, including as a superhero alongside Stephen Amell, and as the “King of the Cruiserweights” on 205 Live.
Of all of the moments Satterley made fans believe, perhaps none are more memorable than when on the August 3, 2015 Raw episode, even just for a moment, fans thought Neville had won the WWE Championship.
Neville vs Seth Rollins
By August 2015, Seth Rollins was four months into his first reign with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which he won by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract in the main event of WrestleMania 31, during Brock Lesnar’s title defense against Roman Reigns.
Following the “Heist of the Century”, The Architect defended his gold against Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and Brock Lesnar in the months ahead of his appearance on the August 3, 2015 edition of Raw.
With Rollins preparing to face US Champion John Cena in a Winner Takes All match at SummerSlam, the WWE World Heavyweight Champion decided to host a championship open challenge of his own, with a few added stipulations.
Per The Authority, the star who was to challenge Seth Rollins that night had to be shorter than six feet tall, and weigh less than 200 pounds.
With Rollins expecting a showdown with El Torito, he was surprised when Neville answered the call.
Neville’s road to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Adrian Neville made his main roster debut on the March 30, 2015 Raw episode, with his first name lost in transit during his move from NXT to the red brand.
Following a string of singles victories, Neville made it to the finals of the 2015 King of the Ring tournament that April, defeating Luke Harper (Brodie Lee) and Sheamus, and coming up short against Wade “Bad News” Barrett.
Prior to August 3, Neville answered John Cena’s US Title Open Challenge on May 11, winning via disqualification due to Rusev attacking him after he connected with his impressive Red Arrow finisher.
The high-flyer also came up short against Kevin Owens during their NXT Championship match on the June 8, 2015 episode.
The near-fall heard around the world
Towards the end of their WWE World Heavyweight Championship match, Seth Rollins climbed to the top rope, but was intercepted by Neville.
Neville took Rollins down with a top-rope hurricanrana, which saw the champion land on the other side of the ring.
The former NXT Champion didn’t miss a beat, running to climb the ropes on the opposite side of the ring. The crowd popped huge as Neville connected with his Red Arrow and instantly pinned Rollins.
Neville hadn’t wasted time crawling for the cover, the pin was instant. There were no scorned rivals in sight ready to interfere, what could possibly go wrong?
The referee counts, one, two… and stops. He points out that Rollins’ right foot was on the middle rope. In storyline, this was not a conscious move by the champion, it was a mistake made by the challenger in the heat of the moment, pulling Rollins too close to the ropes while making the cover.
Neville attempted to hit another Red Arrow, but it was too late. Seth Rollins was able to evade the cruiserweight’s signature move and hit him with a Pedigree to retain the gold.
The legacy of “almost”
Seth Rollins would go on to defeat John Cena in their Winner Takes All match at SummerSlam, before dropping the US Title back to Cena at Night of Champions, and being forced to relinquish the WWE World Heavyweight Championship that November after suffering a knee injury.
While Neville would never hold the WWE Championship, he would have two reigns with the Cruiserweight Title after reinventing himself as the King of the Cruiserweights in 2017, notably defending the gold at WrestleMania 33 against Austin Theory.
While speaking about this near-fall in an interview with The Mirror in November 2015, Neville stated:
“I swear I beat him! (Laughs) No, that was another huge match that put me on the map, even if it was a few months after I debuted. It was a huge night for me. It was an electric night.”
Satterley was a decorated wrestler, having notable singles championship reigns in WWE, NXT, AEW, Dragongate, and many other promotions around the world, yet it’s the clip of this near-fall that has been doing the rounds on social media since the announcement of the beloved star’s passing.
This is a testament as to Satterley’s ability to make you feel, regardless of whether you were lucky enough to watch him live, or if you’re watching him through a TV screen.
Benjamin Satterley will be missed, both as a professional, and as a friend and family member. Our thoughts are with the friends, family, and fans of Satterley, aka Adrian Neville, Pac, at this time.
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