Pat Patterson death: John Cena, The Rock and others pay tribute to the Hall of Famer

WWE legend and Hall of Famer Pat Patterson passed away on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, aged 79. The first openly gay wrestler in WWE history was a trailblazer and would be remembered for his epic rivalry with Sgt. Slaughter and others. He was also the first-ever Intercontinental Champion and was the brain behind some critically acclaimed Royal Rumble matches.

Patterson even did colour commentary for a short period following his retirement in 1984 and also won the WWE Hardcore Championship in his career. A few years later, the promotion honoured Pat Patterson by inducting him in the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996. He may have passed away, but the legacy he created in pro-wrestling is there for all to see.

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Pat Patterson death: The Rock remembers Pat Patterson

A number of WWE legends and stars have paid tribute to Pat Patterson on social media, including a touching tribute from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson. While calling Patterson a “true trailblazer,” The Rock revealed that the Hall of Famer was responsible for getting him into WWE when he was struggling and had only $7 left in his pocket. He said Pat Patterson was the one who called Vince McMahon and advised him to sign The Rock. “Vince flew me to RAW a few weeks later and I had my first match EVER in Corpus Christie, Texas. The rest is history,” he added.

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Pat Patterson death: WWE superstars and legends pay tribute to the legend

Apart from The Rock, legends like John Cena, Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, Vince McMahon, and others also remembered the Hall of Famer. While Shane McMahon and Mick Foley claimed that they were “crushed” after hearing the sad news, Kurt Angle remembered the legend by sharing a throwback picture, which also featured Shawn Michaels. John Cena, on the other hand, shared a heartfelt quote, while calming that Pat Patterson “will live on in my life always”.

“No words can describe what he gave to us. His body as an in-ring performer, his mind as a storyteller, and his spirit as a beloved member of our large WWE family. I will miss him for so many reasons... it’s never goodbye, it’s see ya down the road. Love you, Pat. Abooze,” wrote Triple H.

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