Sami Zayn didn’t have a neat wrestling story prepared when WWE asked him to talk about Benjamin Satterley. What came out instead was something far more personal — a man trying to explain the loss of somebody he considered a brother after spending roughly 20 years growing up alongside him.
Zayn became emotional throughout WWE’s tribute video honoring PAC. Unlike some of the other wrestlers featured, Sami admitted from the start that he didn’t really want to be sitting there talking about Satterley in the past tense. Their history went all the way back to when both men were still young wrestlers trying to figure out their lives.
“Because you were my brother, because I grew up with you, because we knew each other since we were kids, we grew up the entire entire way together, we became men, really, like, actual men, you know, together.”
Zayn said watching tributes pour in from other wrestlers left him feeling pressure to somehow produce the perfect words or photos proving how much their friendship meant. Eventually, he came to the realization that there was nothing he needed to prove to anybody watching.
“I gotta say something, you know, I gotta do something. I just gotta find the perfect words, the perfect pictures that show how close we really were.”
“They don’t need to know. You knew. You knew and I knew. And that’s what matters.”
PAC’s death at just 40 sent shockwaves across professional wrestling, with WWE, AEW and wrestlers across multiple locker rooms paying tribute. WWE also opened RAW with a memorial graphic honoring Satterley. Zayn eventually found comfort in the amount of time they did get together.
“We had 20 unbelievable years like this, man. And that’s more than most people get. So I’ll take it.”
The part that seemed to hurt most was realizing there was still something he wished he had said more clearly. Zayn finished with the words he wished he had delivered before.
“I told you I loved you, you told me you loved me. We knew the brotherhood, we knew the bond, we knew all that stuff. But I don’t ever think I got to thank you.”
“So thanks, man. Thank you, buddy. Thanks for everything.”
There was no polished wrestling promo here and no attempt to manufacture a perfect television moment. It was Sami Zayn grieving somebody who had been part of his life for two decades, and that made his tribute one of the hardest parts of WWE’s entire video to watch.
What did you think about Sami Zayn’s tribute to PAC, and what does their 20-year friendship tell you about the relationships wrestlers build behind the scenes? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
