Full Career Retrospective and Greatest Moments for Pat Patterson

In the annals of wrestling history, few have the mind for the business that the legendary Pat Patterson does.

A phenomenal in-ring worker whose ability to capture the imagination and attention of the audience was nearly unparalleled, he is almost known as much for his work outside the squared circle as he is in it.

The creator of the Royal Rumble match and the mastermind behind some of the industry's most beloved classics, such as the Iron Man match between Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart at WrestleMania XII, Patterson has contributed to the industry in ways that would have earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame even if his in-ring career had not warranted it.

But it did.

Patterson was one of the finest professional wrestlers of his era, working alongside the late great Ray Stevens in tag team action while achieving tremendous success as an in-ring singles competitor, battling the likes of Sgt. Slaughter, Ken Patera, Ted DiBiase and Bob Backlund.

A vile and vicious heel as much as he was a beloved babyface, Patterson was an intensely proud worker who inspired a generation of wrestlers and continues to leave his mark on the industry through his behind-the-scenes work with the young stars of today's roster.

In celebration of one of the most important figures in pro wrestling history, here now is a look back at his phenomenal career through his finest moments and matches.

The Bay Area and the Blonde Bombers

Though he began his career in his hometown of Montreal, Patterson rose to prominence in the San Francisco territory. There, he achieved greatness as a tag team competitor. A winner of numerous tag titles specific to that region, he quickly established himself as one of the most decorated competitors in the area.

It was during his time in the territory that he would meet Ray Stevens, the partner he would most be associated with and who would become one of Patterson's best friends in the industry. Together, they reigned as NWA and AWA tag team champions.

Known as The Blonde Bombers, they exhibited phenomenal teamwork, but eventually, ego and desire for singles success led to a split.

Patterson was the heel in his rivalry with Stevens, and they delivered countless mat wars in front of the same fans they once wowed as partners.

One of the most celebrated stars in San Francisco wrestling history, Patterson was a two-time winner of the historic Cow Palace Battle Royal, an annual bout featuring some of the biggest stars in wrestling history.

WWE

Pat Patterson arrived in New York in 1979 and instantly found himself battling the likes of Ted DiBiase and Bob Backlund in high-profile bouts.

Though he failed to defeat Backlund for the WWE heavyweight title, he did knock off DiBiase while using a pair of brass knuckles to win the North American title. 

The Intercontinental Championship

To say that Pat Patterson won a tournament to become the first intercontinental champion in WWE history would be an insult to wrestling history. At this point, most know the story behind his reign as champion, and for those who do not, here is a brief explanation: In September 1979, WWE unified two of its championships, creating the IC title.

Looking for someone to put the strap on, the company handed it over to Patterson, who became recognized as the first champion. The fictional story put out by the company at the time was that the French-Canadian had won a tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to capture the gold.

At that time, with no Internet to spoil the story, it was easier to convince fans that something happened in a foreign land thanks to the lack of coverage in that area.

Regardless of how he received the title, Patterson set out to help legitimize it, bringing credibility to the new strap.

When legendary competitor The Grand Wizard tried to sell Patterson's services to Captain Lou Albano as if he was some sort of property, Patterson lashed out, completing a babyface turn that set him on a collision course with some of the most despicable villains of the era.

He battled The Wild Samoans and Ken Patera before ultimately dropping the IC title to Patera in April 1980.

The Alley Fight

In 1981, Patterson went to war with Sgt. Slaughter, a villainous boot camp instructor who infuriated WWE fans under the guidance of former Patterson manager The Grand Wizard.

Slaughter had a loud mouth and drew the ire of the former IC champion by calling him "yellow." Slaughter offered a whopping (for that time at least) $10,000 to try to break his Cobra Clutch.

Patterson nearly did just that, but an enraged Slaughter voluntarily broke the hold and proceeded to beat him down in a scene that fans would become familiar with years later when Chris Masters replicated the angle in 2005.

The fallout of Slaughter's assault was a series of Boot Camp matches between the future Hall of Famers, culminating in a brutal, violent Alley Fight that not only earned Match of the Year honors from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter but is widely considered the best of Patterson's career and one of the greatest culminations of a blood feud ever seen.

The Stooges

Patterson would retire from in-ring competition in 1984, taking his place at the announce table before moving backstage, where he would assist Vince McMahon in booking some of the most famous, and infamous, angles of all time.

His creation of the Royal Rumble helped the company at a time when Vince McMahon was turning his promotion from a territorial deal to a national sports entertainment empire. 

In 1998, as WWE embarked on the Attitude Era, Patterson returned to television as one of the evil McMahon character's Stooges.

Alongside Gerald Brisco, Patterson would regularly involve himself in matches involving Steve Austin or any other heroic babyface that opposed McMahon and the Corporation.

After a year as a heel, Patterson and Brisco underwent a brief babyface turn, leading to one of the highest-rated wrestling matches in television history as The Stooges battled Shane McMahon's colleagues, The Mean Street Posse.

No, that was not a typo.

Patterson and Brisco would feud over the WWE hardcore title before they again disappeared from television when the company headed in a new direction.

It was the end of Patterson's time as an on-screen persona, barring the rare return to television.