Between in-ring competition and his behind-the-scenes work with WWE, Pat Patterson has dedicated nearly six decades of his life to professional wrestling. As the inaugural Intercontinental Champion, he rightly earned a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996. But for years, he and WWE made no public reference to the matter of his sexuality. Patterson came out as gay some time in the ’70s, but it wasn’t until WWE Legends House in 2014 that this was acknowledged on any kind of widely broadcast platform. Now, Patterson will get to tell his story of wrestling success and personal struggle in his recently announced autobiography from WWE Publishing, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE.
When Pat Patterson was 17 years old, his parents threw him out of the house after he told them he was in love . . . with a man. Cast off to the United States from Montreal in the 1960s, barely knowing a word of English, he set about a new life as a wrestler. Long before being gay was routinely accepted, Pat lived in the super-macho world of pro wrestling.
One of the most unlikely stories of a revolutionary talent, pioneer and creative savant, Patterson recalls the trials and tribulations as he climbed to the upper ranks of sports-entertainment — as a performer and, later, as a backstage dignitary in this fascinating and revealing memoir. After making his mark in the ring as the prestigious first holder of WWE’s Intercontinental Championship, Pat set out to conquer the WWE world behind the curtain. He became the lead creative force behind the Royal Rumble Match and countless innovations that have shaped the way the WWE Universe has enjoyed sports-entertainment for generations.
Boasting a foreword from Vince McMahon himself, the book will be hitting shelves this August. Pre-orders on Amazon are already available, as well. I’m a sucker for a good biography, so there’s a good chance I’ll pick this up. In the event that we actually start up a With Spandex book club, I’m just going to warn you that we’ll be skipping the chapter with the Hardcore Evening Gown Match from King of the Ring 2000.
