WWE has shared the sad news that Pat Patteson, who was born as Pierre Clermont but legally changed his name to his wrestling name, has passed away aged 79. He is best known for being the first-ever Intercontinental Champion after it was claimed he won a tournament in Rio de Janeiro that actually never took place. Modern fans will likely remember him for being one of Vince McMahon’s on-air stooges where he would get involved in the infamous feud between the WWE owner and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
After retiring from the ring following a very successful career, which saw him win multiple titles and headline MSG, he would become a WWE road agent and eventually Vince McMahon’s right-hand man. He is credited for creating the Royal Rumble match and would handle the match’s booking for many years. He would be honored by the company in 1996 by being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Bret Hart.
In 2014, Patterson came out as gay on WWE’s reality show Legends House, however, this was already widely known throughout the wrestling industry. He later released his autobiography titled Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE, which is highly regarded.
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