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WWE Legend Pat Patterson ?Comes Out? as Gay in Strange Context

Posted: Jun 16th 2014 By: Doug Nunnally

Last Thursday night on the series finale for WWE?s original television series for its network, Legends? House, Pat Patterson, a former wrestler and long-time right hand man of Vince McMahon, came out publically to the other seven wrestling personalities.

At first glance, this seems like a very poignant and emotional moment. The wrestling legends all start sharing personal moments that have affected them deeply and Patterson, now 73, shows great courage in coming out after 50 years to his ?wrestling family? while becoming visibly emotional. Sharing tears as they receive the news, the other seven members respond in a very gracious manner making it almost a perfect moment for audiences to watch.

Except Patterson?s sexual orientation has been well known by the vast majority of people involved in the wrestling business, including everyone involved in Legends? House, for at least forty years, if not more.

This is not the case of someone who has had their sexual orientation speculated for years and years such as Kevin Spacey or Queen Latifah. No, Patterson himself has been open about his lifestyle with people inside the company for years, a fact which has been written about in the wrestling press for decades. While he has never made an omission as public or as grand as he did on last night?s episode, his confession was also one that implied no one else knew?when that is far from the truth.

Patterson?s personal life has been reported multiple times in the past by the press. In 1992, Patterson was the subject of a sexual harassment lawsuit in 1992 along with official Terry Garvin and ring announcer Mel Phillips, in which he was accused by former announcer Murray Hodgson. This controversy, that saw him leave WWE (WWF at the time) for a year, made his personal life very public in the press at the time. Even more recently, when Dwayne ?The Rock? Johnson was promoting his role as a homosexual bodyguard in the 2005 film Get Shorty, he specifically mentioned his inspiration coming from Pat Patterson, one of Johnson?s close friends in the wrestling business, who he specifically mentioned was homosexual.

That?s not to say that Patterson?s emotion wasn?t real here. As he admitted, ?it?s tough and it was tough,? something I think no one will be able to dispute. And it was probably cathartic for the man to be able to say this publically on television after 50 years as well as recount how he lost his partner to a heart attack. But he didn?t say it in a television interview; he said it as a confession to men who already knew, which makes it comes off with slightly questionable intentions.

This whole thing reeks of exploitation though. This episode was actually filmed over two years ago and was shopped around to multiple outlets in the hopes it would get picked up long before the actual plans of the WWE Network came to fruition. Also, the mere fact that TMZ made a big deal about this just casts more doubt on the intentions behind the whole thing. A relationship between WWE and TMZ, or WWE?s desire for one, has been speculated for the past few years, especially after WWE Superstar Darren Young publically came out to a TMZ camera that was conveniently there to interview a wrestler who received less TV time last year than a little person dressed up in a bull costume. For a company with an obviously low public reputation, it?s not absurd to think they would be above trying to generate positive press for themselves, especially in the case of Patterson here.

A member of multiple wrestling Hall Of Fames, Pat Patterson has had a storied career in the wrestling industry, both in and out of the ring. As a wrestler, he was a major act in the 70′s in the San Francisco era before joining WWE (then called World Wide Wrestling Federation) and becoming the first ever Intercontinental Championship, a title which is still active today as WWE?s second-tier championship. After retiring in 1984, Patterson assumed various roles in the company, such as famously refereeing the main event for the first ever WrestleMania in 1985, before settling into a backstage role that saw him make innumerable contributions to WWE. Patterson?s biggest claim to fame might just be inventing the concept of the Royal Rumble

While it?s no question that Pat Patterson publically coming out is news, it?s really the circumstances of everything that makes this one a head-scratcher. It?s pretty well-known that reality shows are often as scripted as professional wrestling itself, but to stage a scene like this and try to fool your audience into thinking that this has been a secret Patterson has hid for half a century is just absurd when a simple Google search will dispute that in less time than a three count.

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1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Title
2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Title
2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Title

Week of Sun 05-03 to Sat: 05-09

05-03 1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
05-03 2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Title
05-03 2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
05-03 2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Title
05-03 2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Title
05-04 1953 Mike Clancy def. Karl Von Poppenheim for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Title
05-04 1969 Jerry Miller & Jim Osborne def. Danny Little Bear & Frank Dalton for the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Titles
05-04 1973 Blackjack Mulligan def. Jose Lothario for the WCCW Texas Heavyweight Title
05-04 1975 Ken Mantell & Jay Clayton def. Stan Hansen & Frank Goodish for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
05-04 1986 Kerry Von Erich & Lance Von Erich & Steve Simpson def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Titles
05-04 1986 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Lance Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champions
05-04 1987 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW World Tag Team Champions
05-04 2003 Ichiban [1st]/Rocco Valentino def. El Sufamilico for the TPW Heavyweight Title
05-04 2013 Tim Rockwell def. Daemon Storm for the UWE United States Title
05-04 2024 Drake Gallows def. MLP for the RDW Brass Knucks Title
05-04 2024 Colton Kinnamon became the UWO Dojo Division Champion
05-04 2024 Alex Royal def. Wrangler Rhett for the WFC Prime Title
05-04 2024 Tim Rockwell def. Thrash for the WFC Heavyweight Title
05-05 1941 Maurice Shapiro became the TSW Missouri Junior Heavyweight Champion
05-05 1958 Jim LaRock became the TSW United States Junior Heavyweight Champion
05-05 1958 Jim LaRock def. Sandor Kovacs for the TSW Oklahoma Junior Heavyweight Title
05-05 1978 Jerry Brown & Bobby Jaggers def. Ray Candy & Steven Little Bear for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
05-05 1982 King Kong Bundy def. Kerry Von Erich for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
05-05 1982 Junkyard Dog & Mr. Olympia def. The Wild Samoans (Afa & Sika) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
05-05 1986 Rick Rude def. Lance Von Erich for the WCCW Television Title
05-05 2002 Red Eagle def. Terry Montana for the OCW Oklahoma Hardcore Title
05-05 2002 Terry Montana def. Red Eagle for the OCW Oklahoma Hardcore Title
05-05 2007 The Compound Varsity (Romero Contreras & Justin Lee) became the FCW Tag Team Champions
05-05 2012 Kareem Sadat def. David Kyzer for the SWCW Hardcore Title
05-05 2017 El Greengo Loco & Karnage def. Team Dean Machine (Christopher Dean & Jerry Dean) for the BPPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
05-05 2024 Tzuky def. Guerrerito for the EDW Heavyweight Title
05-06 1959 Pretty Boy Collins & Duke Scarbo became the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champions
05-06 1974 Rip Tyler def. Bob Sweetan for the TSW Brass Knucks Title
05-06 1978 Terry Funk def. Karl Krupp for the WCCW Texas Brass Knuckles Title
05-06 1984 The Rock & Soul Connection (Buck Zumhofe & King Parsons) def. The Super Destroyers (Super Destroyer 1 & Super Destroyer 2) for the WCCW American Tag Team Titles
05-06 1984 The Von Erichs (Fritz Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Mike Von Erich) def. The Fabulous Freebirds (Terry Gordy, Michael Hayes, & Buddy Roberts) for the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Titles
05-06 1984 The Von Erichs (Kerry Von Erich & Kevin Von Erich & Mike Von Erich) became the WCCW World 6-Man Tag Team Champions
05-06 1985 The Fantastics (Tommy Rogers & Bobby Fulton) became the WCCW American Tag Team Champions
05-06 2005 Shane Morbid def. Kenny Campbell for the SRPW X Division Title
05-06 2005 The 918 Boyz (Timmy J & Cade Sydal) became the SRPW Tag Team Champions
05-06 2011 Jeff Starchild became the MWA Heavyweight Champion
05-06 2017 Lone Star, Inc. (Cody Burns & Trey Cole & The Longhorn Outlaw) def. Simply the Future (J. D. & Alex) for the WFC Tag Team Titles
05-06 2017 Team Dean Machine (Christopher Dean & Jerry Dean) def. El Greengo Loco & Karnage for the BPPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
05-06 2023 Thrash def. Jason Jones for the WFC Prime Title
05-06 2023 MLP def. Red James for the RDW Brass Knucks Title
05-06 2023 Red James def. MLP for the RDW Brass Knucks Title
05-07 1984 Killer Khan became the WCCW Television Champion
05-07 2010 Cody Jones became the NWA-OK Texoma Champion
05-07 2010 Jack Legacy def. Jeff Starchild for the MWA Heavyweight Title
05-07 2010 Dustin Heritage def. Shane Morbid for the MWA MAX-Division Title
05-07 2010 A. T. F. (Al Farat & Gurkha Singh) became the NWA-OK Oklahoma Tag Team Champions
05-07 2010 La Reina de Corazones became the NWA-OK Women's Champion
05-07 2011 Rudy Edwards def. Ryan Styles for the SWCW All-American Title
05-07 2011 Bernie D & Max McGuirk def. Nemesis (Rage Logan & Damien Morte) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
05-07 2016 Tyson Jaymes def. Brandon Groom for the BCW Heavyweight Title
05-07 2018 Jack Swagger became the WCR Heavyweight Champion
05-07 2018 The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich & Ross Von Erich) became the WCR Tag Team Champions
05-07 2018 Damon Windsor became the WCR Revolutionary Champion
05-07 2021 Jerome Daniel Griffey def. Tino Valentino for the ASP Heavyweight Title
05-07 2022 Drake Gallows def. Oxley for the RDW Heavyweight Title
05-07 2022 Derek James became the AWE Lion Heart Champion
05-07 2022 Luna Nightshade became the RDW Women's Champion
05-07 2022 Brandon Groom def. Derek James for the AWE Lion Heart Title
05-07 2022 Becky def. Luna Nightshade for the RDW Women's Title
05-08 1967 Jack Brisco & Gorgeous George, Jr. def. The Assassins (Assassin #1 & Assassin #2) for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
05-08 1970 The Hollywood Blondes (Jerry Brown & Dale Valentine) became the TSW United States Tag Team Champions
05-08 1985 The Snowman became the MSW Television Champion
05-08 1988 Kerry Von Erich def. King Parsons for the WCCW World Title
05-08 2004 Brandon Groom def. Michael Barry for the NWA-OK Oklahoma Heavyweight Title
05-08 2004 John O'Malley became the IZW Heavyweight Champion
05-08 2004 Kenny Campbell became the IZW Impact Division Champion
05-08 2004 Luc Lapointe & Se7en became the IZW Tag Team Champions
05-08 2010 Excellence Personified (Dustin Heritage & Se7en & Michael Barry & Jack Legacy) became the TAP Tag Team Champions
05-08 2010 Wage def. Eric Rose for the IZW Impact Division Title
05-08 2010 John O'Malley def. Kevin Morgan for the IZW Heavyweight Title
05-08 2010 Michael H def. Tex for the 412PE Heavyweight Title
05-08 2010 J. R. Orullian & The Unknown def. The Trenchcoat Mafia (Ryan Reed & Dennis Williams) for the 412PE Tag Team Titles
05-09 1966 The Assassins (Assassin #1 & Assassin #2) became the TSW United States Tag Team Champions
05-09 2004 John O'Malley def. Chris Matthews for the ACW Heavyweight Title
05-09 2004 Se7en became the ACW Hardcore Champion
05-09 2004 Bernie Donderwitz def. Se7en for the ACW Hardcore Title
05-09 2009 Crazy Beautiful (Brett Taylor & Michael York) def. Team SuperBad (El Super Colibri & Justin Lee) for the ComPro Tag Team Titles
05-09 2009 Dane Griffin def. Dustin Heritage for the IZW Impact Division Title
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05-09 2015 The Trenchcoat Mafia (Ryan Reed & Billy Ray [1st]) def. Hurricane Ross & J. R. Orullian for the NAW Tag Team Titles
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05-09 2025 BLK to the Future (Brandon Groom & Zach Delt) became the LCW Tag Team Champions

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1985 Ted DiBiase & Steve Williams def. The Rock-N-Roll Express (Ricky Morton & Robert Gibson) for the MSW Mid-South Tag Team Titles
2003 El Sufamilico def. Ichiban [1st] for the TPW Heavyweight Title
2008 Damon Windsor def. Havoc for the SWCW Heavyweight Title
2008 Miss Sheila def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Title
2014 Sam Stackhouse def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Title

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