Pat Patterson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pat Patterson
Patterson in 2014
Birth name	Pierre Clermont
Born	(1941-01-19)January 19, 1941 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Died	December 2, 2020(2020-12-02) (aged 79) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Partner	Louie Dondero (1958–1998) (Dondero's death)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Lord Patrick Patterson Pat Andrews Pat Patterson
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Billed weight	237 lb (108 kg)
Billed from	Montreal, Quebec, Canada San Francisco, California
Trained by	Loisirs Saint Jean Baptiste
Debut	1958
Retired	June 25, 2000

Pat Patterson (born Pierre Clermont; January 19, 1941 – December 2, 2020) was a Canadian-American professional wrestler and producer, widely known for his long tenure in the professional wrestling promotion WWE, first as a wrestler, then as a creative consultant and producer ("booker"). He is recognized by the company as their first Intercontinental Champion and creator of the Royal Rumble match. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the class of 1996.

In 2019, Patterson became the oldest person to win a title in WWE history, after winning the WWE 24/7 Championship at age 78. He was described by journalist Dave Meltzer as "Vince McMahon's right-hand man" and "one of the chief architects of the WWE, playing an integral role in helping it become a global phenomenon".

Early life

Patterson was born into an impoverished French-speaking family in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada on January 19, 1941. He began training to wrestle at the age of 14 at Loisirs Saint Jean Baptiste. He was raised Roman Catholic, and was an altar boy. He expressed an interest to a priest in becoming one himself, but was advised it would not have worked, because he was "too adventurous".

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1958–1962)

Patterson debuted in Montreal, Quebec in 1958, wrestling at the Palais des Sports for promoter Sylvio Samson.

Big Time Wrestling (Boston) (1961)

In 1961, Patterson - despite speaking no English - immigrated to the United States to pursue his professional wrestling career. He eventually became a U.S. citizen. Patterson initially worked for Tony Santos's Big Time Wrestling promotion in Boston, Massachusetts. While living and working in Boston, Patterson met his long-term partner, Louie Dondero.

Pacific Northwest Wrestling (1962–1965)

In 1962, Patterson was recruited by Mad Dog Vachon for Don Owen's Portland, Oregon-based Pacific Northwest Wrestling promotion. In 1963, Patterson wrestled for promotions in Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma as part of a talent exchange organized by Owen. Patterson returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling in 1964. He held the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship on two occasions that year. On October 2, 1964, Patterson defeated Pepper Martin for the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship. He held the championship for six weeks before losing to Martin. Patterson won the championship again in 1965 and 1966.

Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco) (1965–1977)

Patterson standing in a corner of the ring in 1975.

In January 1965, Patterson was hired by Roy Shire for his San Francisco, California-based Big Time Wrestling promotion. At Shire's request, Patterson dyed his hair blond to form a tag team with Ray Stevens, the Blond Bombers. The duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in 1965 and again in 1967. The Blonde Bombers were described by Bret Hart as "considered by many to be the best tag team of the 1970s". In 1968, Patterson wrestled for NWA Western States Wrestling in Amarillo, Texas as Lord Patrick Patterson, winning the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship and NWA Brass Knuckles Championship. In the same year, he undertook a six-week tour of Japan, facing Antonio Inoki in a series of bouts.

After Stevens turned face in the late 1960s, he had a feud with the heel Patterson, culminating in a Texas Death match, in which Stevens won the title from Patterson. In 1972, Patterson turned face again, after feuding with Lars Anderson, who was managed by Dr. Ken Ramey. Later that year, he teamed with Rocky Johnson and won the tag team championship. In 1975 and 1981, Patterson won the Cow Palace Battle Royal in San Francisco.

Championship Wrestling from Florida (1977)

Patterson and Ivan Koloff as NWA Florida Tag Team Champions, circa 1977

In 1977, Patterson wrestled for Eddie Graham's Tampa, Florida-based Championship Wrestling from Florida promotion. During his run, he won the NWA Florida Television Championship and the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship, as well as briefly serving as booker.

American Wrestling Association (1978–1983)

In 1978, Patterson joined Verne Gagne's Minneapolis, Minnesota-based American Wrestling Association. He reformed The Blond Bombers with Ray Stevens, with the duo winning the AWA World Tag Team Championship later that year. Patterson performed intermittently for the AWA until 1983.

New Japan Pro-Wrestling (1979)

In 1979, Patterson toured Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

Lutte Internationale (1980–1983)

Patterson made his professional return to Quebec in 1980, wrestling a number of bouts for the Montreal, Quebec-based Lutte Internationale promotion. He held the Canadian International Tag Team Championship on five occasions between 1980 and 1983.

World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment / WWE (1979–2020)

North American Champion (1979)

In 1979, Patterson debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), working as a heel, under the tutelage of manager The Grand Wizard. As a villain, Patterson's primary feuds were with then WWF North American Champion Ted DiBiase and WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund. During a television taping on June 19 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Patterson defeated DiBiase for the WWF North American Championship. Patterson was unsuccessful, however, in winning the WWF Heavyweight Championship from Backlund.

Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion and retirement (1979–1984)

In September 1979, the WWF would introduce the WWF Intercontinental Championship, a secondary championship for its midcard wrestlers. Patterson was crowned the company's first Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion after an alleged tournament held in Rio de Janeiro. While Patterson's tournament "victory" is widely listed in wrestling title and match histories, the tournament itself never actually took place. Patterson's apocryphal title victory would later become something of an inside joke during Patterson's on-screen tenure as one of Vince McMahon's "stooges". The fictional tournament was also later profiled in-depth on WWE.com as an April Fool's joke. On November 8, Patterson dropped the North American title to Seiji Sakaguchi.

It was during Patterson's reign as champion that he turned face, after a botched attempt by the Grand Wizard to "sell" Patterson's contract to "Captain" Lou Albano for $100,000. Patterson held the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship until April 21, 1980, when he was defeated by Ken Patera in New York City, New York. On May 4, 1981, Patterson's feud with Sgt. Slaughter culminated in an alley street fight match in Madison Square Garden. The match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Sporadic roles (1984–1997)

Patterson began doing color commentary in 1980 with Vince McMahon, calling WWF Championship Wrestling from 1980 to 1984. Patterson was on commentary with Monsoon when The Iron Sheik defeated Bob Backlund for the world heavyweight championship, as well as for when Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik about a month later.

Patterson retired from wrestling in 1985. Although retired, Patterson continued to occasionally wrestle.

He began working backstage as a road agent and right-hand man to WWF promoter Vince McMahon, and is credited with inventing and booking the Royal Rumble match. In the late 1990s, he also worked in the talent-relations department. After his retirement, Patterson also worked as a WWF referee. He was selected as the in-ring referee for the main event at the first WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985, as well as the main event of WrestleMania XI.

"Stooge" (1997–2000)

Crash Holly and Pat Patterson at the WWF King of the Ring at the Fleet Center in Boston, MA in 2000.

In 1997, Patterson, along with Gerald Brisco, became comedy heels as the on-screen stooges of Vince McMahon. Patterson and Brisco were among the founding members of The Corporation.

Backstage roles (2000–2020)

Patterson (right) holding the WWE Intercontinental Championship with Rob Van Dam looking on.

The Intercontinental Championship, unified with the World Heavyweight Championship at No Mercy on October 20, 2002, was resurrected on May 18, 2003, at Judgment Day in a battle royal. Patterson, as the first Intercontinental Champion, was at ringside to present the belt to the victor.

In October 2004, Patterson retired from World Wrestling Entertainment. Patterson returned to WWE in a limited capacity in May 2005. While retired as a producer for WWE, he still acted as a creative consultant. At Breaking Point, Patterson made an appearance in his hometown of Montreal in an in-ring segment with Dolph Ziggler. Patterson was a regular cast member on the WWE Network original reality show Legends' House.

On July 22, 2019, during the Raw Reunion episode, Patterson won the WWE 24/7 Championship. He would lose the title to Gerald Brisco off-screen later that same night. At 78 years old, he became the oldest person ever to win a title in WWE history, beating The Fabulous Moolah's fourth reign with the original WWF Women's Championship at 76 years old. It was also Patterson's first title reign since June 19, 2000, with the similarly introduced WWF Hardcore Championship, which also used the "24/7 rule". He was only the second person ever to win both the 24/7 and Hardcore Championships, after R-Truth. He was working backstage as a WWE official from 2005 until his death in 2020.

Personal life

Patterson was openly gay. His longtime partner was Louie Dondero.

Patterson legally changed his name to Pat Patterson in 2008.

Death

Patterson died of liver failure caused by a blood clot at a Miami, Florida, hospital on December 2, 2020. He was 79 years old. Many figures in the wrestling world paid their respects to Patterson, as both an in-ring performer and as a behind-the-scenes figure.

Championships and accomplishments

Patterson was the first WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, shown here with the championship belt at WrestleMania 31.

• American Wrestling Association
  • AWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ray Stevens
• Big Time Wrestling (San Francisco)
  • NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (San Francisco version) (5 times)
  • NWA World Tag Team Championship (San Francisco version) (11 times) – with Ray Stevens (2), Superstar Billy Graham (1), Pedro Morales (1), Pepper Gomez (1), Peter Maivia (1), Moondog Mayne (1), Rocky Johnson (3), and Tony Garea (1)
• Cauliflower Alley Club
  • Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award (2008)
  • Other honoree (1995)
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Ivan Koloff
  • NWA Florida Television Championship (1 time)
• Lutte Internationale
  • Canadian International Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Raymond Rougeau (2) and Pierre Lefebvre (3)
• New Japan Pro-Wrestling
  • NWA North American Tag Team Championship (Los Angeles/Japan version) (1 time) – with Johnny Powers
• NWA Hollywood Wrestling
  • NWA Americas Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• NWA Western States Sports
  • NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version) (1 time)
  • NWA North American Heavyweight Championship (Amarillo version) (1 time)
• Pacific Northwest Wrestling
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship (3 times)
  • NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Tony Borne (1) and The Hangman (1)
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Stanley Weston Award (2004)
  • PWI Ranked him #110 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the PWI Years in 2003.
• Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame
  • Class of 2006 – as a member of The Blond Bombers
• World Championship Wrestling
  • IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Art Nelson
• World Wrestling Federation/WWE
  • WWE 24/7 Championship (1 time)
  • WWF Hardcore Championship (1 time)
  • WWF North American Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship (1 time, inaugural)
  • WWF Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Match of the Year (1981) vs. Sgt. Slaughter in an Alley Fight on April 21, 1981
  • Worst Match of the Year (2000) vs. Gerald Brisco at King of the Ring on June 25, 2000, in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 1996)

See also

• The Blond Bombers
• The Corporation