Pat Patterson (wrestler)

Early life

Patterson was born into an impoverished French-speaking family in the Ville-Marie arrondissement of Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 1941. He began training to wrestle at the age of 14 at Loisirs Saint Jean Baptiste.

Early career (1958–1962)

Patterson debuted in Montreal, Quebec in 1958, wrestling at the Palais des Sports for promoter Sylvio Samson. Early in his career, he performed as "Killer" Pat Patterson.

Big Time Wrestling (1962)

In 1962, Patterson - despite speaking no English - emigrated to the United States to pursue his Professional wrestling career. He initially worked for Tony Santos' 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. At the encouragement of PNW promoter Harry Elliot, who was aware of Patterson's homosexuality, Patterson developed the character of "Pretty Boy" Pat Patterson, an effeminate wrestler who wore lipstick, sunglasses, and a beret and carried a cigarette holder.

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.

NWA San Francisco (1965–1977)

In January 1965, Patterson was hired by Roy Shire for his San Francisco, California-based NWA San Francisco 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 the 1970s Texas Death match, in which Stevens won the title from Patterson.

In 1970 and 1971, Patterson wore a mask during his matches, and would cheat by placing a foreign object under the mask to add power to his head butts. 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)

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.

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 by using a pair of brass knuckles to knock out DiBiase. Patterson was unsuccessful, however, in winning the WWF Heavyweight Championship from Backlund.

Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion (1979–1980)

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; Albano's protégés, the Wild Samoans, attacked Patterson after he cut a promo insulting Albano. Patterson held the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship until April 21, 1980 when he was defeated by Ken Patera in New York City, New York. The match ended in controversial fashion after Patterson placed his right leg on the ropes just before the three count was made.

Various feuds and retirement (1980–1984)

On May 4, 1981, Patterson's feud with Sgt. Slaughter culminated in an Bootcamp match in Madison Square Garden. The match was voted Match of the Year by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.

Backstage roles (1984–1997)

Patterson began doing color commentary in 1980 with Vince McMahon, calling WWF Championship Wrestling from 1980-84. While Patterson was a face commentator when partnered with Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon, he hosted a heel interview segment for French WWF broadcasts known as "Le Brunch de Pat", where he would politely ask questions in English but furtively mock his face guests in French. Patterson was on commentary with Monsoon when Hulk Hogan defeated The Iron Sheik for the World Heavyweight Championship, as well as for when Sheik defeated Bob Backlund. Patterson was also calling the action when Jimmy Snuka jumped off the steel cage and splashed Don Muraco in Madison Square Garden in 1983.

Patterson retired from wrestling in 1984. Although retired, Patterson continued to occasionally wrestle. On January 26, 1985 he wrestled Nikolai Volkoff in a losing effort in a house show in Cincinnati, OH. The following month he teamed with Andre the Giant at a pair of house shows in Canada and defeated Ken Patera and Big John Studd. A year later he made another appearance, this time in a battle royal in Montreal on February 24th, 1987. He also appeared in a battle royal at a house show in Buffalo, NY on December 27th. Patterson made a handful of additional appearances in Montreal in 1987, with the most notable being a win over the up-and-coming Brutus Beefcake on August 10th His final match would come three weeks later in Montreal as he fell in defeat to Beefcake.

He began working backstage as a road agent and right-hand man to WWF promoter Vince McMahon, and 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 ever WrestleMania at Madison Square Garden on March 31, 1985, a well as the main event of WrestleMania XI.

In 1992, Patterson was accused of sexual harassment by former ring announcer Murray Hodgson. He was briefly released from the company until the charges were dropped, when he was promptly rehired.

"Stooge" (1997–2000)

In 1997, Patterson became an on-screen stooge of Vince McMahon. He and Gerald Brisco became comedy heels, aiding McMahon in his rivalries with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Mankind and The Rock. Patterson and Brisco were members of The Corporation, and used "Real American" as their entrance music to mock Hulk Hogan. They would also parody Hogan's flexing routine as they approached the ring. On the December 16, 1999 episode of SmackDown, Patterson and Brisco were placed in a match for the WWF Tag Team Championship against The New Age Outlaws by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon after they helped Test backstage, who was injured by D-Generation X earlier in the night, and were told if they didn't compete that they would be fired. Patterson and Brisco would compete in the match in a losing effort. Later on, Patterson and Brisco would join The McMahon-Helmsley Faction. On June 12, 2000 the McMahon-Helmsley Faction briefly gained control over Kane after they unmasked him, enabling Patterson to photograph his "hideously scarred" face, and threatened to "expose him to the world" if he did not comply. Kane was forced to wrestle The Rock (then his ally) in a No Holds Barred match. However, the film did not develop properly, and Kane turned on the Faction. Patterson became the oldest WWF Hardcore Champion ever on June 19, 2000 after blinding reigning champion Gerald Brisco with champagne and then breaking a second bottle over Brisco's head. On June 25 at King of the Ring, Patterson defended the championship against Brisco in an hardcore Evening Gown match booked by Vince McMahon after Patterson and Brisco brawled in the women's locker room. In the course of the match, Crash Holly attacked both men and pinned Patterson to become Hardcore Champion.

Backstage roles (2000–2004, 2005–present)

The Intercontinental Championship, unified with the World Heavyweight Championship on October 20, 2002, was resurrected on May 18, 2003 at Judgment Day in a battle royal. Patterson, as the first ever Intercontinental Champion, was at ringside to present the belt to the victor. Booker T eliminated Christian for the win, but the referee was unconscious. As Patterson attempted to give the championship belt to Booker T, Christian attacked him, stole the Intercontinental Championship belt and used it to knock out Booker T. The referee then recovered and awarded the match to Christian.

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 acts 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.

Personal life

Patterson was born "Pierre Clermont", adopting the ring name "Pat Patterson" at the outset of his professional wrestling career in 1958. He legally changed his name to Pat Patterson in 2008.

Patterson was openly gay. He first came out in the early 1970s, and although Jim Ross made several jokes about it on commentary, his sexuality was not acknowledged publicly or in WWE storylines until the season finale of WWE Legends' House, which aired June 12, 2014.

His longtime partner was Louie Dondero. Patterson stated on WWE Legends' House that they were together for 40 years and that Dondero died of a heart attack in 1998.

Patterson emigrated from Canada to the United States in 1962, eventually successfully applying for United States citizenship.

In August 2006, Patterson underwent emergency heart surgery to remove a cyst from his coronary artery. In October, Patterson recovered from his operation and was released from the hospital.

Patterson was a 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".

In wrestling

Championships and accomplishments