Fans of the Attitude Era may remember Pat Patterson as an onscreen comic relief character, but Patterson’s career encompasses so much more than that. A legend of WWE and a Hall of Famer, French Canadian star Pat Patterson debuted in 1958, wrestling all over North America before making a splash in WWE in the late 1970s.
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Patterson had quite a career, going from in-ring performer to a crucial backstage figure who made WWE that it is today and returning to the spotlight as an onscreen goofball. And, on top of that, many consider him the first openly gay wrestler. Let’s go over the entire breadth of his career and what fans need to know about him.
10 Started As A Teen
Born Pierre Clermont, the future Pat Patterson started training at age 14 under a local wrestler named “Cyclone” Samson. The ring name Pat Patterson soon followed, which has an amusingly simple origin of its own: Patterson chose it by leafing through a book of names.
After performing in local shows, Patterson’s ticket out of Canada came via Tony Santos, an American promoter who happened to be in Montreal, when Patterson approached him about performing in Santos’ Boston-based promotion, Big Time Wrestling.
9 "Pretty Boy" Pat Patterson
Across the country, wrestling in Portland, Oregon, Pat Patterson began to raise his profile. There, he worked under the ring gimmick “Pretty Boy” Pat Patterson, who wore pink ring gear, a beret, and smoked cigarettes, and came to the ring with his real-life partner Louie Dondero as a manager.
On top of the increased attention from his provocative gimmick, Patterson was able to work with some impressive veterans. Patterson convinced Pat O’Connor — a former NWA World Heavyweight Champion — to let him take charge in the ring, and O’Connor was impressed by the young wrestler’s ability to put together a match.
8 The Blond Bombers
Despite starting out as a singles wrestler, Patterson was urged to pursue forming a tag team with San Francisco-based wrestler Ray Stevens, nicknamed “The Blond Bomber.” The duo became The Blond Bombers, an acclaimed team who managed to achieve championship success in the San Francisco area in the mid to late 1960s.
The two split and later feuded, but came together again in the late 1970s, competing in the American Wrestling Association and becoming tag champions there.
7 First Intercontinental Champion
In 1979, Pat Patterson made his debut for WWE, where he’d spend the rest of his career. A heel managed by The Grand Wizard, Patterson captured his first WWE title by defeating Ted DiBiase for the North American Championship, which he held for 142 days.
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Later in 1979, Patterson won a (completely fictional) tournament in Rio de Janeiro, capturing an equally fictional South American Championship. Already North American Champion, the two belts were unified to become the Intercontinental Championship, making Pat Patterson the first titleholder.
6 Face Turn
Eventually, it came time for Pat Patterson to turn face, which was accomplished by having The Grand Wizard selling Patterson’s management contract to fellow heel manager Captain Lou Albano, followed by Patterson suffering a beatdown by Albano’s Wild Samoans when he protested.
Now fully a face, Patterson got into a feud with then-heel Sgt. Slaughter, which led to one of Patterson’s greatest matches, as well as one of the best of the early 1980s: a No DQ “Alley Fight” in Madison Square Garden.
5 WWE Road Agent
By the time of the aforementioned Alley Fight, Pat Patterson was in a color commentary position, already in the midst of transitioning into a non-wrestling role. By the mid-1980s, Patterson had retired as a full-time competitor, and only wrestled sporadically throughout the decade.
Behind the scenes, Patterson had been hired as a road agent for WWE, responsible for putting together matches and working alongside WWE boss Vince McMahon. One of Patterson’s biggest roles after retiring was working as the referee for the Hulk Hogan/Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper/Paul Orndorff main event tag match of the first WrestleMania.
4 Created The Royal Rumble
While the duties and accomplishments of WWE road agents can feel a bit obscure due to the nature of the wrestling business, Pat Patterson has one major accomplishment fans can point to in his career: creating WWE’s most iconic gimmick match, the Royal Rumble.
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Vince McMahon initially didn’t see the value in the concept until it impressed television executives, and Patterson was left with the responsibility of booking the entire match. The bout proved to be a success, and WWE has made it an annual event ever since.
3 Corporate Stooge
With the late 1990s came WWE’s Attitude Era, with Vince McMahon stepping from behind the curtain to act as the show’s big on-screen villain. Doing McMahon’s corporate bidding were Pat Patterson and fellow legend and backstage employee Gerald Brisco, referred to collectively as the Stooges.
Largely incompetent flunkies, the Stooges took part in all kinds of comedic shenanigans and several two-on-one handicap matches. In one notable bout, they were forced to challenge the New Age Outlaws for the Tag Team Championship.
2 Hardcore Champion
Patterson and Brisco’s on-screen partnership broke down thanks to the Hardcore Championship, a borderline comedy belt that changed hands frequently thanks to its 24/7 rule. When Brisco beat Crash Holly to become Hardcore Champion, Patterson betrayed Brisco and pinned his buddy to take the title for himself.
A feud ensued, culminating in a hardcore “Evening Gown Match” at King of the Ring 2000. In true Stooge fashion, the match had no winner because Crash Holly beat them up and pinned Patterson to take the title for himself.
1 Oldest Champion In WWE History
While his stint as an onscreen character largely ended following the Brisco feud, Pat Patterson continued to work backstage for WWE in one capacity or another. However, he was no stranger to the odd nostalgia appearance. In 2019, he showed up on the “Raw Reunion” episode of Monday Night Raw, where he captured the entirely comedic 24/7 Championship, and thus became the oldest champion in WWE history.
Hilariously — and appropriately — he’d lose the belt to Gerald Brisco.
