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1[[quoteright:232:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/patterson-pat07_6872.jpg]]
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3'''Pierre Clermont''', better known by the ring name '''Pat Patterson''' (January 19, 1942-December 2, 2020) was a Canadian-American wrestler until right before the beginning of the 1980s explosion of Wrestling/{{WWE}}. It is his behind-the-scenes work during the modern era that has driven some of the concepts that are well-known today.
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5As a wrestler, Patterson was originally known for his CampGay gimmick in the [[Wrestling/NationalWrestlingAlliance NWA]]'s San Francisco territory. This is TruthInTelevision: He really was gay, though in person he was more StraightGay. He held the Tag Team titles there ten times with various partners, and San Francisco's U.S. title six times.
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7He joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1979, and quickly won the North American Championship from Wrestling/TedDiBiase. It was then turned into the Intercontinental Championship, and he held it for about a year. He would retire from active duty in 1984, and become a referee.
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9Not long after retiring, Patterson went behind the scenes, and quickly became Wrestling/VinceMcMahon's "right-hand man". He is best known as the progenitor of the Wrestling/RoyalRumble match, and often booked it personally early on. He was inducted into the Wrestling/WWEHallOfFame in 1996.
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11He returned on-screen at the beginning of the Wrestling/AttitudeEra as one of Mr. [=McMahon's=] mooks, alongside Gerald Brisco. At one point [[RefugeInAudacity he won the WWF Hardcore Championship]] (at age 59), and [[CallBack once defended it in an evening gown match]].
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13Unfortunately, he left WWE in official capacities in 2004 under accusations he had sexually harassed some of the men in the company. One of his alleged victims was Wrestling/RoddyPiper, who once accused Patterson of groping him in a shoot interview(which he later recanted). His reputation has been repaired since then, and he served in a consulting role with the company. He appeared on the WWE Network's reality show, ''Series/WWELegendsHouse''.
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15He passed away from cancer on December 2, 2020. He was 79 years old.
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17!! Some tropes involving the wrestler:
18* AlliterativeName: His in-ring name, '''P'''at '''P'''atterson.
19* CampGay: His early character. In his earliest gimmicks, he'd wear lipstick and pink trunks.
20* HeelFaceRevolvingDoor: In the mid-1980s, Patterson was primarily a neutral to face-leaning backstage official in the United States and most of Canada ... except in Montreal, when he was a full-fledged heel. Patterson hosted a Main/TalkShowWithFists segment called "Le brunch de Pat," aired only in the WWF's French-Canadian markets, where he asked questions in English and translated their answers in French to mock and insult the faces and praise the heels. In 1987, Patterson teamed with the heel New Dream Team (Dino Bravo and Greg "the Hammer" Valentine) against face tag teams -- almost always, these were six-man teams featuring ex-Dream Team member Wrestling/BrutusBeefcake (who had newly turned face) and the Rougeau Brothers (Jacques and Raymond). Until the advent of video sharing services, none of Patterson's mid-to-late 1980s heelish personality traits were shown or referred to in the United States.
21** Patterson also became a heel again in December 1997, shortly after the Wrestling/MontrealScrewjob and Wrestling/VinceMcMahon's [[FaceHeelTurn heel turn]], with [=McMahon=] recruiting Patterson and Gerald Brisco as his "stooges" to go after Wrestling/StoneColdSteveAustin.
22* HypercompetentSidekick: With the decimation of {{Kayfabe}}, this is how he tends to come off when people hear about his time as an official in WWF.
23* {{Mook}}: This is how most Attitude Era fans remember him. Aside from his stint as The Corporation's stooge, he also aided the [=McMahon=]- Helmsley Faction against Test.
24** QuirkyMinibossSquad: Occasionally served this capacity with Gerald Brisco and sometimes Sgt. Slaughter, under the command of Mr. [=McMahon.=]
25* OnlySaneMan: It's said that Patterson is largely responsible for keeping Vince grounded and being able to talk him out of some of his more outlandish ideas (see TheSmartGuy for the prime example). Since leaving his inner circle, the difference is very noticable.
26* OpenSecret: Prior to his officially coming out, ''everyone'' knew Patterson was gay. However, other than the occasional veiled reference, it was just one of those things that nobody talked about.
27* StraightGay: Him in real life. [[SmartMark Smarks]] know he's gay, but his later Mook character had no stereotypical or camp tendencies, and [[HideYourLesbians they dance around the issue]] in ''Legends House'' until the finale.
28* TheSmartGuy: Backstage during the '80s, Pat would be the voice of reason to Vince's crazy booking ideas. Probably the greatest example came in 1990 when Vince wanted new acquisition Mark Calaway to debut from inside Wrestling/TheGobbledyGooker's egg as "The Eggman", but Patterson instead persuaded him to let Calaway use the gimmick he'd come up with for him instead- '''''Wrestling/TheUndertaker!'''''
29* SuddenSequelHeelSyndrome: He was originally a face during his stint as the first ever Intercontinental Champion, and pretty much stayed that way (unless he was in Montreal, where he was a fully-fledged heel and commonly booed). He would later return during 1997.... as one of Vince's {{Mooks}}.
30* TakeThat: Along with Gerald Brisco, he used Wrestling/HulkHogan's taunts and theme music during the Attitude Era. One infamous post-match moment had him ''[[FanDisservice take off his shirt]]'' and start flexing his biceps like Hogan used to do.
31* UrExample: Pat was the first Intercontinental Champion.

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