December 7, 2020 Observer Newsletter: Death of Pat Patterson, AEW/Impact, more
Pat Patterson, one of the greatest in-ring pro wrestlers who ever lived, who went on to become one of the most influential men in the history of the industry, passed away on 12/2 in a hospital in Miami’s South Beach at the age of 79.
It would take a book to cover the exploits of Patterson, born Pierre Clermont on January 19, 1941, in Ville-marie in Montreal. Some will talk of him as a wrestling genius, a master of psychology and finishes. Others will talk of him as the inventor of the Royal Rumble. He was also the person who first discovered and recommended and became the mentor for Dwayne Johnson, although he mentored many of the greatest wrestlers of this era. He was covered in extensive news coverage based on the idea he was the first openly gay pro wrestler, which is far from the truth but it was said so often that unfortunately, in almost every media story, that was the lead and considered his greatest accomplishment.
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Dave Meltzer is the founder and lead writer on the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the weekly constant when it comes to news and reviews in pro wrestling and mixed martial arts for more than 40 years. Dave also co-hosts Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and had had bylines for The National, Yahoo Sports, MMA Fighting and others.