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Pat Patterson Talks His Autobiograhy, Working With Vince McMahon

Posted: Jul 31st 2016 By: Lauren Founds

Pat Patterson has been in the wrestling business since 1958 and has worked in the WWF/WWE since 1979. He is most know for being the first Intercontinental Champion, as well as being the mastermind behind the Royal Rumble. Since his retirement from in-ring action in 1984, Patterson has been one of Vince’s right-hand men backstage.

The WWE Hall of Famer is releasing his first autobiography titled Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE. The book will be released on August 9th. Recently, Pat was interviewed on The Rack Radio Show Podcast discussing his book and life with WWE. Here are some highlights from the interview:

What he was trying to get across when writing the book:

“In the book, I was trying to get across not so much the wrestling, it was about being gay and coming out and having such a hard time all of these years trying to hide, it is not fair. Over the years word got out obviously, but I wanted to come out. I wanted to say it.”

His love for professional wrestling and working with Vince McMahon:

“The business, it is my life, I love it. It is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. That’s what I wanted to be when I was young and even now today, I give my point of view about a certain talent and I have a good point of view and they listen. I have good ideas and they listen. When you work with Vince McMahon for so many years you have to be creative, you have to come up with ideas and sometimes Vince and I would sometimes go and argue and debate on a certain subject. I wasn’t there to be a yes man, I gave my point of view and I stood on it.”

Creating the Royal Rumble:

“When I came up with the Royal Rumble, Vince (McMahon) thought it was a stupid idea. I said it’s not, it’s going to work, oh my god give me a break, he didn’t want to do it. It is now one of our the best pay per views we have every year. It is fun and the talent likes it.”