PAC’s sudden death at 40 shocked the wrestling world, but it turns out he had been dealing with health problems years before his passing. The former AEW star experienced blood clot issues in 2023 and had a history of problems with his lungs. Those details are now coming to light after officials confirmed that bronchial asthma caused his death.
Speaking on the October 19, 2026 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer revealed that one of PAC’s friends had told him about the wrestler’s previous medical issues around the time of his death. Meltzer explained that while the full extent of those problems wasn’t widely known, PAC’s lung issues were something people close to him were aware of.
“He did have lung issues. This is not something that came out of nowhere that nobody knew.”
Meltzer then revealed that PAC had also dealt with blood clot issues back in 2023, something that adds another piece to his medical history before his death on September 27.
“I don’t know how well that was known but one of his friends had told me like, you know, really like the week of his death, you know about the, he had the blood clot issues when in 2023. And he said that he had had some, some lung issues. And so this is. The lung issues are consistent with, with what happened.”
The disclosure comes after Ringside News previously covered PAC’s official cause of death. On October 16, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that PAC, whose real name was Benjamin Satterley, died from bronchial asthma. His death was ruled natural, although there has been no confirmation that his previous blood clot issues played any role in what happened.
Meltzer also shared information from Canadian physician Dr. Alex Patel, who explained how severe asthma attacks can become deadly when the airways become inflamed and restricted. While most cases can be managed with inhalers and medication, some attacks can get out of control very quickly.
That brought up another troubling question about PAC’s final moments. He was found unresponsive inside a rental car in Des Plaines, Illinois, and Meltzer admitted he didn’t know whether PAC had an inhaler with him or if the medical emergency happened too quickly for him to get help.
“Unfortunately you know, usually, you know, you would have the inhaler with you, and I don’t know, you know, you know, it may have happened so quick. There was stuff in his car, in the rental car, but he may not have been able to. It may have happened so quick. He wasn’t able to get it.”
As Ringside News previously covered, PAC was discovered inside his running rental car outside a CAVA restaurant on September 27. The woman who called 911 said people had been trying to get his attention for several minutes without any response. Emergency crews arrived and attempted to save him, but he was pronounced dead at 4:08 p.m.
The situation was especially shocking because PAC had wrestled Andrade at AEW All Out just one night earlier. By the following afternoon, he was dead at just 40 years old. Meltzer admitted that the more he learned about the situation, the harder it became to process.
“And just a. It’s a horrible situation. The more you learn about it, it’s. It doesn’t get better. It gets. It gets worse.”
For now, there’s no established connection between PAC’s blood clot problems in 2023 and the bronchial asthma that ultimately took his life. But learning that he had been dealing with previous lung issues makes his sudden passing even more heartbreaking, especially considering he was still competing inside the ring just hours before his death.
What are your thoughts on these new details about PAC’s medical history, and what will you remember most about his wrestling career? Let us know in the comments below.
