Pat Patterson died yesterday
at age 79. He was a victim of cancer.
If you don’t know who Pat Patterson was, please read on.
His story is an interesting one, and certainly even a more interesting one in these days of diversity and inclusion.
Patterson was a championship-caliber professional wrestler during his many years on the mat, which were mostly spent with the WWE.
The Canadian wrestler—born Pierre Clermont but later legally changing his name--was the very first Intercontinental Champion, and he was one of the most successful—and popular-performers in the sport, looked up to by many for his grappling skills.
After he left the mat, he became a major executive with the WWE as a creative consultant and producer, and was often cited as Chairman Vince McMahon’s right-hand man and his go-to guy to get things done.
He created the Royal Rumble match, was responsible for many of the tactics that the organization used to become a worldwide phenomenon, and in a paean to his enormous influence on the sport, he became the oldest person ever to win a WWE title—age 78--when he briefly held the WWE 24/7 championship in 2019.
Patterson was rightly inducted into the nascent WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.
And Pat Patterson was gay, the first openly gay professional athlete that I can ever remember.
Patterson came out in the 1970s when it wasn’t as fashionable as it is today to come out of the closet, but he did just that.
You can be sure there were plenty of snickers when he finally came out, because so many people in the business probably knew about it, but the funny thing is that he was such a popular performer at the time that it really didn’t matter.
If you don’t know who Pat Patterson was, please read on.
His story is an interesting one, and certainly even a more interesting one in these days of diversity and inclusion.
Patterson was a championship-caliber professional wrestler during his many years on the mat, which were mostly spent with the WWE.
The Canadian wrestler—born Pierre Clermont but later legally changing his name--was the very first Intercontinental Champion, and he was one of the most successful—and popular-performers in the sport, looked up to by many for his grappling skills.
After he left the mat, he became a major executive with the WWE as a creative consultant and producer, and was often cited as Chairman Vince McMahon’s right-hand man and his go-to guy to get things done.
He created the Royal Rumble match, was responsible for many of the tactics that the organization used to become a worldwide phenomenon, and in a paean to his enormous influence on the sport, he became the oldest person ever to win a WWE title—age 78--when he briefly held the WWE 24/7 championship in 2019.
Patterson was rightly inducted into the nascent WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.
And Pat Patterson was gay, the first openly gay professional athlete that I can ever remember.
Patterson came out in the 1970s when it wasn’t as fashionable as it is today to come out of the closet, but he did just that.
You can be sure there were plenty of snickers when he finally came out, because so many people in the business probably knew about it, but the funny thing is that he was such a popular performer at the time that it really didn’t matter.
As it shouldn't have.
Since few people really cared, he was able to carry on his career, both on the mat and later, in the executive boardroom.
Interestingly, the WWE never acknowledged his sexuality, but they did allude to it in various ways.
Various WWE commentators—including the legendary Jim Ross—kind of spoke about it in an offhanded way, but never directly said anything about it.
Since few people really cared, he was able to carry on his career, both on the mat and later, in the executive boardroom.
Interestingly, the WWE never acknowledged his sexuality, but they did allude to it in various ways.
Various WWE commentators—including the legendary Jim Ross—kind of spoke about it in an offhanded way, but never directly said anything about it.
Other announcers and wrestlers also did the same thing, but I think they did that because in wrestling circles, Patterson was such a popular, well-liked and revered person that it really didn’t matter at all, as it shouldn’t.
They all alluded to it in the kindest of terms, that it was almost as if they wanted to come out and say he was gay, but this was the closest they could come to actually doing so,
It took more than 40 years for the WWE to acknowledge his sexuality, but it really wasn’t that important. They guy did his job, became a revered person before the acknowledgment, and thus, when it did come out, it was like “ho hum,” we kind of knew and we kind of don’t care.
As it should be.
Last night on the NXT show on the USA Network, the WWE gave Patterson a wonderful sendoff, which I am sure will continue on other WWE shows like Raw and Smackdown.
The entire NXT wrestler roster, as well as executives, lined up silently as the photo montage of Patterson and the song “My Way” played in the background.
You could see that even through their characters, good guy and villain, the roster stood united, with not a dry eye in the house.
The sendoff lasted just a few minutes, but it put a clear, shining light on Patterson and all that he meant to the WWE and professional wrestling in general.
There have been many gay wrestlers since then. Just a few years ago, then-WWE star Darren Young announced in the middle of the ring that he was gay, and there have been both closeted and openly gay wrestlers working for the company, and other wrestling organizations since then.
And the great thing about it is that nobody really cares.
If they do their job well, the fans love them. If they don’t, they get buried and aren’t around very long.
And honestly, that is the way it should be.
One’s worth should be based on their performance, not on their sexuality.
Patterson proved his worth in so many ways that even though many people—including fans—knew of his sexuality, few cared about it.
I am sure there were other gay wrestlers that preceded Patterson, and there were probably gay wrestlers when Patterson was at his peak of in-ring performance.
But I guess that there has to be a “first,” and Patterson was just that, not just in professional wrestling but in all sports and ways of life.
It took more than 40 years for the WWE to acknowledge his sexuality, but it really wasn’t that important. They guy did his job, became a revered person before the acknowledgment, and thus, when it did come out, it was like “ho hum,” we kind of knew and we kind of don’t care.
As it should be.
Last night on the NXT show on the USA Network, the WWE gave Patterson a wonderful sendoff, which I am sure will continue on other WWE shows like Raw and Smackdown.
The entire NXT wrestler roster, as well as executives, lined up silently as the photo montage of Patterson and the song “My Way” played in the background.
You could see that even through their characters, good guy and villain, the roster stood united, with not a dry eye in the house.
The sendoff lasted just a few minutes, but it put a clear, shining light on Patterson and all that he meant to the WWE and professional wrestling in general.
There have been many gay wrestlers since then. Just a few years ago, then-WWE star Darren Young announced in the middle of the ring that he was gay, and there have been both closeted and openly gay wrestlers working for the company, and other wrestling organizations since then.
And the great thing about it is that nobody really cares.
If they do their job well, the fans love them. If they don’t, they get buried and aren’t around very long.
And honestly, that is the way it should be.
One’s worth should be based on their performance, not on their sexuality.
Patterson proved his worth in so many ways that even though many people—including fans—knew of his sexuality, few cared about it.
I am sure there were other gay wrestlers that preceded Patterson, and there were probably gay wrestlers when Patterson was at his peak of in-ring performance.
But I guess that there has to be a “first,” and Patterson was just that, not just in professional wrestling but in all sports and ways of life.
And he was it in professional sports, or whatever you consider professional wrestling to be.
R.I.P. Pat Patterson.
R.I.P. Pat Patterson.
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