PAT PATTERSON

Born Pierre Clemont in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Pat Patterson is a legendary name for his in-ring wrestling skills, his booking mind and his ability to craft interesting and compelling finishes.

Like so many other Montreal natives, Pat started wrestling for free in the basement of a church where all of the proceeds went to the church. His paid professional career began in 1958 where he appeared with the name Pat Patterson. He moved on from there to Boston and then was encouraged to go to the Pacific Northwest by Maurice Vachon.  He started moving up the cards in the Pacific Northwest territory in the early-1960’s where he was given the name “Pretty Boy” Pat Patterson by Seattle promoter, Harry Elliott. Don Owen liked the gimmick and asked Pat to use it through Oregon as well. Pat left the PNW area and went to Houston for Morris Siegel, Phoenix, AZ and Oklahoma for brief runs before returning to the Northwest as a headliner. Pat held the PNW Heavyweight title three times (trading it twice with Pepper Martin) and the PNW Tag Team Title twice.

After leaving the PNW, Pat went on to Roy Shire’s San Francisco territory which he would call home for many years. Pat became a San Francisco legend and held the area’s tag team title nine times and the United States title five times. It was in San Francisco where he first ran across long-time tag team partner and foe, Ray Stevens. Pat won the famous “Cow Palace Battle Royal” on February 15, 1975. In 1981, Pat was working for the WWF when Verne Gagne, who was running northern California requested Pat’s services for a Battle Royal in Oakland. When Roy Shire found out about it, he let Vince McMahon know he was displeased and, as a courtesy to Roy, Pat went to San Francisco to win the Cow Palace Battle Royal in what would turn out to be Shire’s final promotional venture in the storied building on January 24, 1981.

Though his name will always be synonymous with San Francisco’s Big Time Wrestling, Pat also made successful runs through Florida where he held the Florida Tag Team Title (with Ivan Koloff) and the Florida Television Title in 1977 and Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association where he held the World Tag Team titles with Ray Stevens in 1978 – 1979.

In 1979, Patterson debuted in the World Wrestling Federation where he defeated Ted DiBiase to win the North American Heavyweight title. This title was then unified with the “South American Championship” in one of the famous “tournaments” in Rio de Janeiro to create the Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship. Patterson was enough of a heel draw for the promotion that he was the first person to headline Madison Square Garden four consecutive times against a champion. Patterson challenged champion Bob Backlund on July 2, 1979, July 30, 1979, August 27, 1979 and in a final confrontation where Backlund scored the elusive victory in a steel cage match on September 24, 1979. Pat’s babyface turn in the promotion came when his manager, The Grand Wizard, “sold” Pat’s contract to Lou Albano for “$100,000.” Pat let it be known that he did not like or respect the Good Captain and was later set upon by the Wild Samoans during a 6-man tag team match. Pat held the IC title until April 21, 1980 when he was defeated by Ken Patera.

Patterson went on to feud with Sgt. Slaughter where his MSG “Alley Fight” is regarded as one of the legendary matches of the 1980’s and was voted 1981's Match of the Year in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. Patterson retired from full-time active competition in 1984 and went on to work as a broadcaster, road agent and, eventually, as one of Vince McMahon’s leading bookers in the WWF/E. Pat is considered by many to be one of the great booking minds of all time and is widely acknowledged as being able to put together some of the best finishes in the business. Despite retiring several times, Pat has stayed with the organization in once capacity or other since his in-ring retirement and, even today, serves as a consultant.

Pat is currently retired in Florida and spends his free time playing golf, visiting friends and going on cruises where he enjoys singing Karaoke. Pat Patterson truly does have a lifetime of achievements in professional wrestling and it is hard to think of a candidate more deserving of the Art Abrams Lifetime Achievement Award.

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