Pat Patterson

Patrick Patterson (born Pierre Clermont, January 19, 1941 – December 2, 2020) was a Canadian–American professional wrestler. He was employed by the professional wrestling promotion WWE as a creative consultant and producer. He was the inaugural WWE Intercontinental Champion and creator of the Royal Rumble match, Patterson was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 1996. In 2019, Patterson became the oldest person to ever win a title in WWE history, after winning the WWE 24/7 Championship at 78 years old. He has been described by journalist Dave Meltzer as "Vince McMahon's right-hand man" and "one of the chief architects of the WWE, playing an integral role in helping it become a global phenomenon." He was also the first openly gay wrestling star, which he detailed in his 2016 book, Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE.