Pat Patterson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pat Patterson |
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Patterson in 2014
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| Birth name | Pierre Clermont |
| Born | January 19, 1941 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | December 2, 2020 (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 famous Canadian-American wrestler and producer. He was well-known for his long career with WWE, first as a wrestler and later as a creative helper. WWE sees him as their very first Intercontinental Champion. He also created the exciting Royal Rumble match. Pat Patterson was honored in the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.
In 2019, Patterson made history. He became the oldest person to win a WWE title. He won the WWE 24/7 Championship when he was 78 years old. Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer called him Vince McMahon's "right-hand man." He was also called "one of the chief architects of the WWE." Pat Patterson played a big part in helping WWE become a huge global success.
Contents
- Early Life and Training
- Pat Patterson's Wrestling Journey
- Starting His Career (1958–1962)
- Moving to the United States (1961)
- Wrestling in the Pacific Northwest (1962–1965)
- Big Time Wrestling in San Francisco (1965–1977)
- Championship Wrestling from Florida (1977)
- American Wrestling Association (1978–1983)
- Wrestling in Japan and Quebec (1979–1983)
- World Wrestling Federation / WWE Career (1979–2020)
- Pat Patterson's Death
- Championships and Achievements
- See also
Early Life and Training
Pat Patterson was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. His birthday was January 19, 1941. He grew up in the Ville-Marie area of Montreal. When he was 14, he started training to become a wrestler. He trained at a place called Loisirs Saint Jean Baptiste.
Pat Patterson's Wrestling Journey
Starting His Career (1958–1962)
Patterson began his wrestling career in Montreal in 1958. He wrestled at the Palais des Sports. This was for a promoter named Sylvio Samson.
Moving to the United States (1961)
In 1961, Patterson moved to the United States. He wanted to continue his wrestling career there. He did not speak English at first. Later, he became a U.S. citizen. He first worked for Tony Santos's Big Time Wrestling in Boston.
Wrestling in the Pacific Northwest (1962–1965)
In 1962, Mad Dog Vachon asked Patterson to join. He joined Don Owen's Pacific Northwest Wrestling. This promotion was in Portland, Oregon. In 1963, Patterson wrestled in Texas, Arizona, and Oklahoma. This was part of a talent exchange program. He returned to Pacific Northwest Wrestling in 1964. That year, he won the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship twice. On October 2, 1964, he won the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship. He held this title for six weeks. He won the championship again in 1965 and 1966.
Big Time Wrestling in San Francisco (1965–1977)
In January 1965, Pat Patterson joined Roy Shire's promotion. This was Big Time Wrestling in San Francisco, California. Shire asked Patterson to dye his hair blond. This was to form a tag team with Ray Stevens. They were called the Blond Bombers. This duo won the NWA World Tag Team Championship in 1965. They won it again in 1967. Bret Hart said the Blond Bombers were "considered by many to be the best tag team of the 1970s."
In 1968, Patterson wrestled in Texas. He was known as Lord Patrick Patterson. He won the NWA North American Heavyweight Championship. He also won the NWA Brass Knuckles Championship. That same year, he went on a six-week tour of Japan. He wrestled against Antonio Inoki several times.
Later, Ray Stevens became a fan favorite. He had a rivalry with Patterson. This ended in a special match called a Texas Death match. Stevens won the title from Patterson. In 1972, Patterson became a fan favorite again. He teamed with Rocky Johnson and won the tag team championship. Patterson won the Cow Palace Battle Royal in San Francisco in 1975 and 1981.
Championship Wrestling from Florida (1977)
In 1977, Patterson wrestled for Eddie Graham's promotion. This was Championship Wrestling from Florida in Tampa, Florida. He won the NWA Florida Television Championship. He also won the NWA Florida Tag Team Championship. He even briefly helped plan the matches.
American Wrestling Association (1978–1983)
In 1978, Patterson joined Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association. This group was based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He teamed up with Ray Stevens again as The Blond Bombers. They won the AWA World Tag Team Championship that year. Patterson wrestled for the AWA off and on until 1983.
Wrestling in Japan and Quebec (1979–1983)
In 1979, Patterson toured Japan with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He also returned to Quebec in 1980. He wrestled many matches for Lutte Internationale in Montreal. He held the Canadian International Tag Team Championship five times between 1980 and 1983.
World Wrestling Federation / WWE Career (1979–2020)
Becoming North American Champion (1979)
Patterson joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1979. He played a villain, guided by manager The Grand Wizard. As a villain, Patterson often fought against WWF North American Champion Ted DiBiase. He also challenged WWF Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund. On June 19, Patterson defeated DiBiase to win the WWF North American Championship. However, he could not win the WWF Heavyweight Championship from Backlund.
Intercontinental Champion and Retirement (1979–1984)
In September 1979, the WWF created a new title. This was the WWF Intercontinental Championship. It was for wrestlers in the middle of the roster. Patterson was named the first Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion. This was said to be after a tournament in Rio de Janeiro. But this tournament never actually happened! This "victory" became a funny inside joke later on.
On November 8, Patterson lost the North American title. He lost it to Seiji Sakaguchi. During his time as champion, Patterson became a fan favorite. This happened after a failed attempt by The Grand Wizard to sell Patterson's contract. Patterson held the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship until April 21, 1980. He lost it to Ken Patera in New York City. On May 4, 1981, Patterson had a big match. It was an alley street fight against Sgt. Slaughter. This match was voted "Match of the Year" by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
Backstage Roles and Refereeing (1984–1997)
Patterson started as a commentator in 1980 with Vince McMahon. He commented on WWF Championship Wrestling until 1984. He was on commentary when The Iron Sheik won the world heavyweight championship. He was also there when Hulk Hogan won it a month later.
Patterson stopped wrestling full-time in 1985. But he still wrestled sometimes. He began working behind the scenes as a "road agent." He was a trusted helper for WWF promoter Vince McMahon. He is known for creating the Royal Rumble match. In the late 1990s, he also worked in the talent department. After retiring, Patterson also became a WWF referee. He was the referee for the main event at the first WrestleMania in 1985. He also refereed the main event at WrestleMania XI.
"Stooge" Role (1997–2000)
In 1997, Patterson and Gerald Brisco became funny villains. They played the roles of Vince McMahon's "stooges." Patterson and Brisco were also founding members of The Corporation.
Continuing Backstage Roles (2000–2020)
The Intercontinental Championship was brought back in 2003. Patterson, as the first champion, was there to present the belt. In October 2004, Patterson retired from WWE. But he came back in a limited way in May 2005. He was still a creative consultant. At Breaking Point, Patterson appeared in his hometown of Montreal. He was on a show called Legends' House.
On July 22, 2019, Patterson won the WWE 24/7 Championship. This was during the Raw Reunion show. He lost the title later that night to Gerald Brisco. At 78 years old, he became the oldest person to win a WWE title. This beat The Fabulous Moolah's record. This was also Patterson's first title since 2000. He worked backstage as a WWE official until he passed away in 2020.
Pat Patterson's Death
Pat Patterson passed away on December 2, 2020. He was 79 years old. He died in a hospital in Miami, Florida. Many people in the wrestling world shared their sadness. They remembered him as a great wrestler and a key person behind the scenes.
Championships and Achievements
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- 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
