PAC Was Involved In WWE’s Greatest Near-Fall Ever

Throughout the professional wrestling career of the beloved Benjamin “PAC” Satterley, the late star competed in an array of different promotions, one of which being WWE. His time in the company saw him reign as NXT Champion & Cruiserweight Champion, but there is one moment and match that sticks out above all others when it comes to PAC’s WWE run. Competing as Neville, the high-flying star stepped up to the plate to take on reigning and defending WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins in a title match on Monday Night RAW. This predictable championship defense went from a basic TV match to resulting in two of the greatest near-falls in WWE history that had fans absolutely bouncing.

Seth Rollins Issued An Open Challenge For The WWE World Heavyweight Title

• Rollins opened RAW’s August 3 episode with a promo.
• He bragged about breaking John Cena’s nose on the road to SummerSlam.
• Rollins gave an open challenge to any wrestler under six feet and under 200 pounds.

Amidst his reign as the WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Seth Rollins legit broke John Cena’s nose in a scary spot, prompting him to brag about injuring his upcoming opponent at SummerSlam 2015. On the August 3 edition of Monday Night RAW, Rollins opened the show with a promo in which his confidence overflowed, leading to him issuing an open challenge to kick off the night with his WWE Title on the line.

When asked if he was sure, Rollins iterated that his open challenge was only available to those under 200 pounds in weight and 6 foot in height, lessening his challengers to cruiserweights. In an oversight, he forgot about the presence of PAC (wrestling as Neville) on the WWE main roster, who was fresh on the back of a very impressive winning record in the lead-up to this show. The former NXT Champion stepped up to the plate, competing in what would be his first and only shot at WWE’s biggest prize. On paper, this looked like a standard title defense to build momentum for Rollins, but it turned out to include one of the best near-falls ever (and another that wasn’t far behind it).

PAC (Neville) Nearly Defeated Seth Rollins To Become WWE Champion

• PAC (Neville) answered Rollins’ open challenge.
• This WWE Championship match was a very fun contest.
• Two close near-falls had WWE fans thinking PAC had caused an upset.

During what was a very well-wrestled technical clinic between Seth Rollins and PAC, the underdog challenger came very close to victory when rolling up the champion, with Rollins kicking out just as the referee’s hand came a millimeter from the mat for a three count. For those in the arena, they were not convinced that Rollins had kicked out in time, going crazy at the prospect of PAC’s shock victory. This was just the start. After a top rope hurriancrana, PAC went to the top rope to hit his signature Red Arrow, sending the crowd into a wild frenzy. He pinned Rollins, the referee counted one, then two, then just as he was about to count to three, he stopped. Both PAC and the audience were in disbelief due to the fact that Rollins had not kicked out, only to realize that in PAC’s overzealousness to cover the champion, he’d accidentally pulled Rollins’ foot onto the rope, which was noticed at the very last minute by the referee.

Visually, this was one of the most satisfying and equally infuriating near-falls in WWE history, with everyone certain that PAC was about to pull off one of the biggest world title upsets ever in professional wrestling. The execution was flawless, and PAC sold his exasperated emotion incredibly. For a split second, the crowd in San Jose, California were sure that they’d seen a new WWE Champion crowned, only for Rollins to issue a comeback and win the match with a pedigree.

Fans Will Forever Remember PAC’s Incredible Near-Fall

• PAC’s two near-falls against Rollins are all-timers.
• Fans will never get tired of rewatching PAC vs. Rollins on RAW.
• It would have been wild to see PAC as WWE Champion.

Throughout his tenure in WWE, PAC’s booking experienced plenty of ups and downs. His NXT run was fantastic, clashing with the likes of Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, Bo Dallas, and more in notable matchups, before experiencing a struggle on the main roster due to Vince McMahon wanting to present him as a “Mighty Mouse” type of superhero. He would eventually shrug off a bland babyface gimmick by joining the floundering cruiserweight division, single-handedly saving it with his “King Of The Cruiserweights” heel character before his eventual exit from the company.

Despite his title successes and show-stealers, there is a good chance this iconic near-fall remains the most favorable and memorable part of his WWE run, with him coming painfully close to winning the WWE Championship in what would have been a tremendous shock.