Tyson Kidd fought back tears while remembering the late Ben Satterley after his passing. During an emotional tribute, Kidd reflected on Ben’s impact both inside and outside the ring, even revealing that one match with him may have saved his WWE career.
Speaking during WWE’s tribute to PAC on their YouTube channel, Kidd admitted he struggled to get through his memories because of how much Ben meant to him. He said fans only ever saw a small part of who Ben really was, calling him one of the very best people he had ever shared a locker room with.
“Sorry, I’m not good at—I can’t cry and talk at the same time. It’s one of the talents I don’t have. Ben was truly the best of us. What people saw in the ring was only a fraction of who he really was, and he was the best of us in the ring, too.”
Beyond his incredible wrestling ability, Kidd remembered Ben as one of the funniest people backstage. He laughed while recalling the constant back-and-forth between PAC and Sami Zayn, explaining that Ben loved pushing Sami’s buttons and everyone in the locker room enjoyed watching it unfold.
“Backstage, he was one of the best guys you could—he’s just so fun to be around. I saw Bill Dempsey put up a tweet. It was very true. If you ever got to see Ben and Sami backstage in a locker room, and you got to see Ben kind of egging Sami on and poking the bear a little bit and working him up, and Sami knowing what Ben was doing, but going with it, the entertainment it provided for everybody around him was amazing. And it’s memories I have burned in my head.”
Kidd then revealed something many fans likely never knew. Looking back at his singles match against Neville at the very first NXT TakeOver, he believes that performance may have literally saved his WWE job. Just weeks later, WWE held roster cuts, and Kidd is convinced things could have gone very differently if that match hadn’t been so good.
“You know, the matches were so important. I believe the TakeOver match I had with Ben, and of course the four-way following, but that singles match at that first TakeOver, I believe that that match really saved my job at that time.”
“And really, if it had been a little—if it hadn’t been as good as it was thanks to Ben, I think a couple weeks later there were some cuts, and I believe I would’ve been in those round of cuts. So I’ve always held that match to a really—on a really high pedestal, and that was because of Ben.”
Kidd also shared a message he received from Kevin Owens earlier that day, saying Owens perfectly summed up why PAC’s matches were so consistently outstanding. Kidd completely agreed, explaining that Ben was the common denominator and had an unmatched ability to elevate everyone he stepped into the ring with.
“KO sent me a really nice message this morning, oddly enough, and what he said was very true. The reason why everybody had such great matches with Ben was because Ben was in them.”
“And you didn’t have to worry about your own stuff because you knew he was gonna make all of your stuff look awesome. He’s gonna make all of his stuff look awesome, and he’s gonna make all of your stuff look awesome.”
“So you could be having a terrible day, where you’re completely off your game, and Ben will fix all of that for you. He was that good. And that’s even still understating how great he really was.”
Kidd sent one final message to Ben’s family and friends, making it clear that his admiration extended far beyond wrestling. For him, PAC wasn’t just one of the greatest performers he’d ever worked with—he was one of the greatest people he’d ever known.
“And I just want Ben’s family and friends—and there’s many, many friends—just to know that I hold Ben in the highest regard possible as a professional and as a person. And I love you, Ben. I love you, Neville. Thank you.”
Tyson Kidd’s tribute wasn’t just about remembering an incredible wrestler. It was about honoring someone he believes changed careers, lifted everyone around him, and left a lasting impact on everyone lucky enough to know him.
What did you think of Tyson Kidd’s emotional tribute to PAC? Share your favorite memories of Ben Satterley in the comments below.
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.
