William Regal shared one of the most touching tributes to the late Ben Satterley after his passing, remembering not only one of wrestling’s greatest talents, but someone he considered among the most important people in his life.
While speaking during WWE’s tribute to PAC on their YouTube channel, Regal didn’t hesitate when describing what Ben meant to him, saying there were very few people outside of his own family that he thought more highly of.
“With the exception of my family, there’s maybe less than a handful of people in the world I thought more of than Ben.”
Regal then looked back at 2012, when he was tasked with helping recruit Ben to WWE after he was recommended for a tryout. He spent two days with him in London trying to convince him to move to America, but quickly realized Ben wasn’t particularly interested in chasing the traditional WWE dream. Ironically, Regal admitted that attitude only made him like Ben even more.
“I remember spending two days with him, 2012 in London, because he’d been recommended to come to try out for us, and I spent two days trying to talk him into coming to work here, to come to America, because he didn’t really care about coming to America, which made me like him a lot more than I already did.”
As gifted as PAC was athletically, Regal believes what truly separated him from everyone else was the intensity behind everything he did. While plenty of wrestlers have tried to replicate Ben’s style over the years, Regal said they’re missing the violent edge and genuine menace that made PAC feel so unique.
“I was in complete awe of his talent. There’s a lot of people try to do what he does, but none of them can do what he did because everything he did, he did with violent intent.”
“And that’s when people try and do what he did, or the style that he sort of was at the forefront of. I don’t want to offend anybody, but that is the thing that is lacking. It’s just the sheer menace of the man.”
Regal smiled as he explained how different Ben was once the cameras stopped rolling. Instead of the intimidating figure fans saw in the ring, he remembered a kind, down-to-earth man from Newcastle who shared his love of ska, reggae, Fred Perry shirts and Adidas trainers.
“And for anybody that knows anything about him, that wasn’t the man at all, far from it. Just a lovely, ska-loving, reggae-loving lad from Newcastle. And that’s another thing we bonded over, music and clothes, because when I’m not dressed like this, I dress the exact same as he did. Fred Perrys and Adidas trainers, generational thing that’s gone on since the late ’60s, and me and him are still doing it.”
Regal also revealed a conversation the two had when Ben first joined WWE. He told him that if the company ever stopped feeling right, he shouldn’t stay out of obligation—he should simply leave. Years later, Ben did exactly that, and rather than disappointing Regal, it earned even more of his respect.
“I also remember the two days that I talked to him about coming. I said, ‘Look, mate, if you don’t like it, when it’s time to go, just go.’”
“And one day he called me, he said, ‘I’m going.’ 2017, and he left, which made me like him even more.”
Regal then sent a simple but powerful message, calling Ben the very best and offering his condolences to his wife Natalie and the rest of his family.
“He was the best. He was the absolute best. My deepest condolences to everybody, especially Natalie and his family. I’ll miss you forever, pal.”
Regal’s tribute wasn’t really about championships or five-star matches. It was about the man behind the character. From helping bring Ben to WWE to respecting his decision to leave years later, Regal’s memories made it clear that PAC earned lasting admiration not just because of what he did in the ring, but because of the person he was outside of it.
What did you think of William Regal’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.
