One of the most important figures in WWE history passed away earlier this week when Pat Patterson died at the age of 79. The first-ever Intercontinental Champion, Pat Patterson was widely respected backstage for his mind for the industry helping further along the careers of many top WWE Superstars including Steve Austin.
Austin and Patterson had a closer relationship than most as Pat Patterson was an on-screen figure regularly on the receiving end of beat-downs by “Stone Cold” during Patterson's time as one of Mr. McMahon's stooges alongside Gerald Brisco.
Austin reflected on Pat Patterson's life and career in a new video released on WWE’s official YouTube channel.
"When I first came into WWE many years ago, I heard Pat Patterson was this great wrestling mind, one of the funniest guys I've ever met, and he always had a smile on his face and he liked to have a couple of cocktails as well," Austin began. "Pat's one of the best dudes in the history of the business, and he's a guy whose contributions to the business are incredible, first and foremost as a performer in the ring in the first Intercontinental Champion. A lot of people know him for being one of Vince McMahon's stooges, along with Gerry Brisco and those guys were so entertaining together, along with the fact that he invented basically the original format for the Royal Rumble."
He continued, "His biggest contribution to the business, along with a great body of work, was all of the knowledge that he passed to all of the superstars who came through those doors. So instrumental and my career and The Rock's career but really, in every WWE superstar who came through those doors, he would bestow knowledge, and learnings, and psychology, and ways to take things further and further and farther away to push the envelope as far as creativity. I'm gonna miss him. I'll say this. Pat Patterson is gone, but will always be remembered, and that dude lived one of the craziest, most interesting, amazing lives anybody has ever lived. Bottom line."
Both Gerald Brisco and Vince McMahon have commented on the passing of Pat Patterson. Brisco discussed the friendship he formed with Pat over the years. You can read that at this link. Vince McMahon composed a tweet reflecting on Patterson's life, which you can read by clicking here.
Should you use any portion of the quotes above, transcription credit should go to Fightful with a h/t linking back to this article.
