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WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson Has Passed Away at Age 79

By John Canton • Published 2nd December 2020

There’s sad news to report today because we have learned that legendary WWE Hall of Famer Pat Patterson has passed away. He was 79 years old.

Pat is a legend in the professional wrestling business and made a huge impact on the business that he loved so much. His real name was Pierre Clermont, he was from the Montreal area and was also one of the wrestlers to come out as being gay. Pat lost his battle with cancer and his death was first reported early this morning. Here’s more from TMZ about it as well.

Patterson was known for being an amazing wrestler, the first-ever Intercontinental Champion, the man that came up with the Royal Rumble match concept and known for being one of the brightest minds in the history of professional wrestling. In addition to all of that, he was one of the best friends of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and obviously the McMahon family is going to be hit hard by this loss. I think of Pat’s smile especially during his run with Gerald Brisco as “The Stooges” and all the funny things they did together. Also as a Canadian wrestling fan, I know Pat is one of the greatest wrestlers from my country, so that makes him stand out even more to me. There are so many stories of Pat singing the Frank Sinatra song “My Way” and it’s fair to say that’s exactly how he lived his life.

In 2016, Pat released his autobiography “Accepted” which had a foreword by Vince McMahon and you can see a quote from The Rock on there as well. It covered Pat’s life as the first gay superstar and also the incredible he played in helping to build WWE as a worldwide brand.

There’s more info coming in this morning and I will update this post with tributes to him. Here’s what WWE.com wrote about Patterson:

WWE is saddened to learn that Pat Patterson has passed away at the age of 79.

A true trailblazer of the industry, Patterson was linked to many “firsts” in sports-entertainment throughout his storied career, including the first-ever Intercontinental Title reign and the creation of the Royal Rumble Match. In a career spanning six decades, the renaissance man left an indelible mark on the industry in the ring, on the microphone and behind the scenes.

Patterson began his career in 1958 in his native Canada before becoming a fixture in the Bay Area for nearly two decades. After winning the AWA Tag Team Championship with Ray Stevens in 1978, Patterson moved on to WWE. Under the tutelage of The Grand Wizard, Patterson made an immediate impact and became the first Intercontinental Champion in September 1979. Patterson’s most legendary WWE rivalry was undoubtedly his war with Sgt. Slaughter, which captivated the WWE Universe with Boot Camp Matches and a brutal Alley Fight at Madison Square Garden.

Shortly before his in-ring retirement in 1984, Patterson joined Mr. McMahon as a color commentator. Even after hanging up his boots, Patterson was far from finished reimagining the possibilities of the sports-entertainment industry. In 1988, Patterson brought one of the ring’s most groundbreaking ideas to life by creating the original format for the Royal Rumble Match.

Patterson returned to the ring during WWE’s electric “Attitude Era,” creating many memorable moments alongside Gerald Brisco as one of Mr. McMahon’s hilarious “Stooges.” Patterson even pinned Crash Holly to claim the Hardcore Title. For all his efforts, Pat Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 by Bret Hart.

In his 25-plus years in WWE, Patterson was synonymous with making history. From the Intercontinental Title to the Royal Rumble Match and beyond, his name will forever be revered in WWE lore. This amazing legacy was captured in Patterson’s 2016 autobiography, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE, a moving chronicle about his life both inside and out of the ring.

WWE extends its condolences to Patterson’s family and friends.

On behalf of everybody associated with TJRWrestling, we send our condolences to Pat’s family and friends.

Here are some tributes to Patterson. This will be updated throughout the day.