WWE legend Pat Patterson passed away at the age of 79. The WWE Hall of Fame inductee was the wrestling company's first Intercontinental Champion and created the Royal Rumble. Patterson is also considered the first openly gay wrestling superstar.
"WWE is saddened to learn that Pat Patterson has passed away at age 79," the company wrote in a statement on Wednesday. "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."
Dozens of legendary and current wrestlers expressed their condolences and tributes on social media. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson posted a tribute to the late, wrestling great and credited Patterson with helping him launch his pro wrestling career.
"Rough phone calls to get this morning to tell me, our dear family member, Pat Patterson who was my pro wrestling mentor and father figure has passed away," The Rock wrote. "A @wwe hall of famer, TRUE trailblazer and one of the most brilliantly creative wrestling minds the industry has ever known. He was also responsible for calling Vince McMahon when I was training to become a pro wrestler (my $7 bucks days) and said, 'Vince you gotta see this kid work in the ring.' Vince flew me to RAW a few weeks later and I had my first match EVER in Corpus Christie, Texas. The rest is history and years later, here I am writing this post."
Patterson joined the WWE in the late 1970s after beginning his career in 1958. By the 1980s, he transitioned to a career outside the ring and became CEO Vince McMahon's right-hand man as an executive at the company. He came out as gay in 2014 and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996.
Source: WWE
