Pat Patterson, Legendary Wrestling Champion, Dies; WWE extends condolences

The Montreal native devoted decades of his life to wrestling, with an in-ring career that spanned from 1958 to 1984. After making his debut on regional fight cards in Quebec, he moved to the U.S. in the early 1960s.

In 1979, he became WWE’s first Intercontinental champion.

After announcing his in-ring retirement in 1984, he worked as a colour analyst and in various roles behind the scenes with the head of the company, Vince McMahon.

In 2016, Patterson published his autobiography, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE, in collaboration with author Bertrand Hébert.

Patterson’s sexual orientation was widely known in wrestling circles, but he announced it publicly in 2014.

He came up with the concept of the Royal Rumble, an elimination match that traditionally features 30 wrestlers and has gone on to become one of WWE’s most popular events.