SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
I’m learning to fly (Learning to fly)
But I ain’t got wings (Learning to fly)
Coming down (Learning to fly)
Is the hardest thing (Learning to fly)
Well, some say life will beat you down
Break your heart, steal your crown
So I’ve started out for God knows where
I guess I’ll know when I get there
I’m learning to fly around the clouds
But what goes up (Learning to fly)
Must come down
-“Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
Pac was “the man that gravity forgot.” He was “The Bastard.” Most importantly, he was Ben, a great man and friend to so many people in wrestling. There was Nigel and there was Doug, but it was Pac, who was U.K.’s greatest export in the 2000s. Before there was Ospreay and Sabre, it was Pac holding up the banner for wrestling out of the U.K.
His physique was impeccable, his execution flawless, and his offense crisp and snappy. Sitting ringside for his matches in DGUSA, I saw first hand Pac’s incredible high-flying. It was unlike anyone else’s. His execution of the most complicated dives was flawless. It was like he truly did have wings when he went up top or executed a dive to the floor.
I saw his first match for Ring of Honor in the U.S. where he wrestled Bryan Danielson. I had to be there. I had heard so much about Pac, but when he started making regular appearances in ROH in early 2007, my chance finally came to see him live and he did not disappoint facing off against ROH’s ace Danielson.
Pac was so much more than a high-flyer, as his career went on he adapted a more physical style to compliment his high-flying ability. He wrestled in WWE, but was never utilized properly there. He had the courage to walk away and eventually return to his home promotion, Dragon Gate, after a six year absence in 2018. He returned to Dragon Gate as “The Bastard.” His new heel persona was a character that was very different from the person his friends interacted with behind the scenes.
Pac was one of the first names to sign with AEW when the promotions launched in 2019. He brought “The Bastard” character to AEW. The company was a blank slate for him and also the right fit. I always wanted more for Pac, who was based out of the U.K. He was in and out of AEW during his time there, often disappearing from TV for a large amount of time, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He had memorable matches during his time in AEW against the likes of Orange Cassidy, Kenny Omega, and WIll Ospreay. Pac got the most consistent push of his AEW career when he joined The Death Riders in 2024. I thought several times that Pac was going to take control of the group from Jon Moxley over the last year, but it never happened. There was still time for Pac to break out and have his signature singles run in AEW, but his untimely death will only leave me to wonder what more he could have done in the promotion.
Seeing Pac’s heel run when he returned to Dragon Gate was so exciting. He was so good at being an antagonist. The thrill of seeing Pac bringing his heel persona to AEW during its inception was incredible. He would have had an amazing singles run in AEW if given the ball to run up top. The stars just never aligned, although fans were treated to a ton of great matches from Pac during his AEW career.
Beyond all of that, is the most important thing: Pac was a good friend to so many people in the wrestling industry. The depth of sadness felt in multiple countries upon Pac’s passing is a testament to the man he was, having left his mark in Japan, U.K, Mexico, and the U.S.
As the tributes have come out from wrestlers across multiple companies, the common theme is that Pac was quick to encourage and give advice behind the scenes. He was seen as a genuinely good person by so many people in wrestling that he worked with.
Pac may have been a superhero come to life in terms of his ability in the ring that fans will always remember him by, but his true legacy will be that to his friends and family behind the scenes, he was “Ben” or “Benji,” as Eddie Kingston called him. We should all strive to leave the legacy that Ben the person left behind as a friend and confidant that had such a positive impact and brought friendship and so much light to those he encountered.
(Sean Radican has been Pro Wrestling Torch for over 23 years. He has covered the independents, ROH, and NJPW in-depth over the years in addition to also watching all the major promotions in the U.S. PWTorch VIP members get access to his weekly Radican Worldwide podcast looking at a variety of news topics from the past week and then an in-depth Go-Home segment with a guest on a big topic of the week. You can contact him at pwtorchsean@gmail.com. You can follow him on X @SR_Torch and on Bluesky @SeanRadican.)
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
