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Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE
“Pat is one of the greatest mentors I’ve ever had in the world of sports-entertainment.” — Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
When Pat Patterson was 17 years old, he was asked to leave his home after telling his parents he was in love . . . with a man. Moving from Montreal to the United States in the 1960s, barely knowing a word of English, he was determined to succeed in the squared circle. Back when homophobia was widespread, Pat lived in the super-macho world of pro wrestling.
In this fascinating and revealing memoir of revolutionary talent, pioneer, and creative savant Patterson recalls the trials and tribulations of climbing to the upper ranks of sports-entertainment — as a performer and, later, as a backstage creative force.
Many in the WWE Universe know Pat Patterson as a ring legend, the prestigious first holder of WWE’s Intercontinental Championship, a WWE Hall of Famer, and one of Vince McMahon’s “stooges” during the Attitude Era. But Patterson is no stooge. He has long been one of Vince McMahon’s trusted advisors. Still active in WWE today, Pat delivers his no-holds-barred story of going from unknown to WWE luminary.
Check out this never-before-seen documentary, “I Did it My Way: The Pat Patterson Story” now available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp03s...
When Pat Patterson was 17 years old, he was asked to leave his home after telling his parents he was in love . . . with a man. Moving from Montreal to the United States in the 1960s, barely knowing a word of English, he was determined to succeed in the squared circle. Back when homophobia was widespread, Pat lived in the super-macho world of pro wrestling.
In this fascinating and revealing memoir of revolutionary talent, pioneer, and creative savant Patterson recalls the trials and tribulations of climbing to the upper ranks of sports-entertainment — as a performer and, later, as a backstage creative force.
Many in the WWE Universe know Pat Patterson as a ring legend, the prestigious first holder of WWE’s Intercontinental Championship, a WWE Hall of Famer, and one of Vince McMahon’s “stooges” during the Attitude Era. But Patterson is no stooge. He has long been one of Vince McMahon’s trusted advisors. Still active in WWE today, Pat delivers his no-holds-barred story of going from unknown to WWE luminary.
Check out this never-before-seen documentary, “I Did it My Way: The Pat Patterson Story” now available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp03s...
272 pages, Hardcover
Published August 9, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 63 reviews
July 15, 2016
Accepted is the autobiography of former wrestler Pat Patterson, possibly the first openly gay pro-wrestler.
Accepted was a quick read. Pat fulfilled the first requirement of what makes a good wrestling book, in my opinion. The non-wrestling part of his life was done by the 10% mark.
Pat relates his story, starting from his dirt poor roots in Montreal to becoming a wrestler to moving to the united states. Pat covers his trips from Canada to Boston to San Francisco to Florida and all points in between.
I'm not sure what I expected but the story Pat told wasn't it. Pat and his longtime partner Louie didn't seem to suffer much in the way of discrimination behind the scenes. Good for them. There also weren't a ton of road stories, although the Ray Stevens chapter was damn good and the bit with Terry Funk was quality as well.
The book shifted gears when Pat retired and started working for the WWF(E) backstage in the mid-1980's. I knew he usually booked the Royal Rumble back in the day but I never knew it his was idea. I also never knew he championed the smaller guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in the 1990s. Gears shifted again once Pat retired for the final time.
Accepted had some really good moments but I wanted more. It was a pretty short book, which seems weird considering Pat wrestled for decades. More road stories, more backstage machinations, generally more everything, would have been nice. Still, it was a decent read. 3 out of 5 stars.
Accepted was a quick read. Pat fulfilled the first requirement of what makes a good wrestling book, in my opinion. The non-wrestling part of his life was done by the 10% mark.
Pat relates his story, starting from his dirt poor roots in Montreal to becoming a wrestler to moving to the united states. Pat covers his trips from Canada to Boston to San Francisco to Florida and all points in between.
I'm not sure what I expected but the story Pat told wasn't it. Pat and his longtime partner Louie didn't seem to suffer much in the way of discrimination behind the scenes. Good for them. There also weren't a ton of road stories, although the Ray Stevens chapter was damn good and the bit with Terry Funk was quality as well.
The book shifted gears when Pat retired and started working for the WWF(E) backstage in the mid-1980's. I knew he usually booked the Royal Rumble back in the day but I never knew it his was idea. I also never knew he championed the smaller guys like Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels in the 1990s. Gears shifted again once Pat retired for the final time.
Accepted had some really good moments but I wanted more. It was a pretty short book, which seems weird considering Pat wrestled for decades. More road stories, more backstage machinations, generally more everything, would have been nice. Still, it was a decent read. 3 out of 5 stars.
June 21, 2022
Light,funny,sweet
October 22, 2016
I received this book via NetGalley in exchanged for an honest review.
Before you start this book, go on YouTube and watch the Pat Patterson Vs. Sargent Slaughter fight a "No Hold's Barred" match from 1981 that is his most famous match.
Now start this memoir written by Pat Patterson. There is something to be said about a legend in wrestling telling stories from the old days, and this is close to the best that you can get. Pat Patterson started working in the 60s and is still involved in the WWE in some capacity. This means that he has seen and done just about everything. The drinking and partying are legendary, but I love the sections with him and Andre the Giant. The way that Pat played pranks on Andre, and the way that Pat really played jokes on everyone that he met, "Accepted" makes me think that wrestling behind the scenes can be as fun as I think it would be, travelling around the world, getting into trouble, and having a good time. Reading Pat Patterson's retelling, I can hear his voice, almost as if we are just sharing beers and he's telling me stories.
The rest of the title to this book, "How the first gay wrestler changed the WWE," really does not mean much to the story. Patterson does not hide any of this throughout the whole book, but it does not feel necessary. He does mention after "Legend's House" and coming out on the show to the world, it did make him a strong role model in the gay community, but it did not affect his career in a way where he was ever out of a job. He did not have to go through prejudices, nobody refused to fight him, he did not lose any promoters because of it and he did not feel as if he even had to hide it to very many people. This makes me think that this tag line was used just to garner more interest in a book by people that do not normally care much about wrestling.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and all of the accounts of his storied career in wrestling and the business of WWE. It is entertaining and well worth the time.
Before you start this book, go on YouTube and watch the Pat Patterson Vs. Sargent Slaughter fight a "No Hold's Barred" match from 1981 that is his most famous match.
Now start this memoir written by Pat Patterson. There is something to be said about a legend in wrestling telling stories from the old days, and this is close to the best that you can get. Pat Patterson started working in the 60s and is still involved in the WWE in some capacity. This means that he has seen and done just about everything. The drinking and partying are legendary, but I love the sections with him and Andre the Giant. The way that Pat played pranks on Andre, and the way that Pat really played jokes on everyone that he met, "Accepted" makes me think that wrestling behind the scenes can be as fun as I think it would be, travelling around the world, getting into trouble, and having a good time. Reading Pat Patterson's retelling, I can hear his voice, almost as if we are just sharing beers and he's telling me stories.
The rest of the title to this book, "How the first gay wrestler changed the WWE," really does not mean much to the story. Patterson does not hide any of this throughout the whole book, but it does not feel necessary. He does mention after "Legend's House" and coming out on the show to the world, it did make him a strong role model in the gay community, but it did not affect his career in a way where he was ever out of a job. He did not have to go through prejudices, nobody refused to fight him, he did not lose any promoters because of it and he did not feel as if he even had to hide it to very many people. This makes me think that this tag line was used just to garner more interest in a book by people that do not normally care much about wrestling.
Overall I enjoyed reading this book and all of the accounts of his storied career in wrestling and the business of WWE. It is entertaining and well worth the time.
October 11, 2018
I enjoyed Pat Patterson's autobiography "Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE". I remember him from very early in the televised wrestling. For him to achieve what he did, in the 60's and 70's, as well as his continuing influence in the WWE proves that a gay male can excel in a macho sport. Would he have made it if he was open about his sexuality from the beginning, probably not. But as people got to know him and his work ethic they understood his personal life didn't matter. The reason I didn't rank this as 4 stars is that Pat didn't supply dates and timeline for many of the things he references. You can figure them out if you are a follower of the WWE or Google the events, but I would have found it easier to follow him if he gave more dates.
January 17, 2023
The late, great Pat Patterson's autobiography Accepted is a quick, fun read filled with interesting, humorous stories from Pat's many decades in the wrestling industry. It's, for the most part, the usual wrestler autobiography fare and isn't by any means revolutionary - he gives some opinions on what he likes and dislikes about the business, sheds light on infamous backstage events he was there for like the Montreal Screwjob, says who he liked and who he didn't, how he got into the business, etc. There's a lot of heart in it, though, as Pat chronicles his poverished upbringing and longtime relationship with his late partner Louie. All in all - it's a good quick read, with all the wit and charm you'd expect from the legendary Pat Patterson.
October 22, 2016
It was an enjoyable book. It showed that pro wrestling is far more advanced than other professional sports, as wrestlers were willing to get oiled up and roll around with Patterson while other professional sports are still struggling to accept homosexuality because a gay guy might see their peepee.
September 18, 2018
YIKES! You know I usually like the people Vinnie introduces me to, but this was an ugly fuckup on his part. He used to take me to these parties at Titan Tower where I met wholesome, beautiful folks like Iron Sheik and Jake the Snake, but one time this old creep showed up and things got scary. Vinnie was too busy shoveling mountains of coke up his nose to notice this pasty Canadian making the moves on me. VERY FRIGHTENING experience. He got me into a corner and started asking me what I tasted like. You know I'm real respectful towards that kinda crowd so I asked him to step off, he was blocking my view of that tasty piece Linda, but the fuck didn't take the hint! He grabbed me between the legs and squeezed, and I got so scared, I never been so scared in my life. Those #metoo frauds don't know what its like to feel so afraid and powerless. You got your friends all around you like Hacksaw Duggan and Andre T. Giant and your closest pal Vinnie and they don't do nothing for you but keep having a good time gettin boozed up and flexing while Frenchie the Freak slobbers all over your $3000 suit (I burned that thing to ashes, those kinda memories are no good to a great and brave leader like me). It was a total nightmare, the kind where you try screamin but the noise dont come out. That hypocrite Asia Argento is trying to fool you losers into thinking the enemies are great guys like Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey, but the real enemy is psychos like this fatso, the kind of bastard that gets in close with your best friend so he can do bad things to you and getaway with it. SHAMEFUL. I brought it up to Vinnie and he started yellin that I couldn't prove nothin, and that even if I could they'd never get rid of the guy cause he has a dirt file on him the size of Everest. This kinda injustice makes you feel violated. The system really failed me that day. Nobody understands what it's like to be this helpless. I promise you, one day Frenchie the Freak is gonna get his, believe you me. I already got back at Vinnie by giving that lady of his some thankless position in the Big House I can't remember the name of. First day on the job she was all over me. Very insatiable. Took it like a champ.
Always look out for your friends.
Always look out for your friends.
March 26, 2021
A good book for any fan of wrestling or wrestling history. I didn’t learn anything crazy or new by reading this, but it was cool to read the story of such a legend, especially his years teaming with Ray Stevens.
August 29, 2016
Probably deserves about 3.5 stars, but I'm going to round down because I usually do.
Okay, before I start yammering about the content, I want to say that this book is a very quick read; it's not long and there are a lot of pictures interspersed in the text, although I didn't find them distracting, which sometimes happens with too many images, especially when they're embedded in text. There's also a section of photographs in colour in the middle, as has become customary in a lot of biographies.
I should start out by saying that I didn't pick up this book because I'm a fan of professional wrestling (I can vaguely remember my father watching it when I was little on Saturday afternoons maybe), but I was interested in seeing how Patterson's sexuality played a part in his career in what I assumed (and still assume) is a very macho business. And this is probably a good thing because Patterson isn't writing a tell-all in the least. This is clearly not the book of a man done with the business or one who feels like it's wronged him in any way.
So, all that being said, the wrestling promotions and people he names are mostly unknown to me (except the Rock, but I think you'd have had to have been living under a rock for the last 10 years not to know who he is), but that's not largely the point of this book. Okay, the friendships he's made over the course of his life are absolutely the point of this book (and he devotes a lot of words to characters like Ray Stevens, Vince McMahon Sr, and Vince McMahon Jr), but it's mostly in the service of relating the story of how absolutely normal his experience and career was.
All that being said, there are some very poignant moments in this book, most especially near the end where he talks about his late boyfriend Louie and how he's never really been able to call him that, instead always using the words "my friend Louie." He talks candidly about the homophobic promoters for whom he worked, and how having met him and his partner, their attitudes seemed to have changed. (I also found his absolute bewilderment over segregation in Texas in the late 1960s a very interesting bit of social commentary.)
All that being equal, he also lists one of his worst experiences as a wrestler/producer as one where he was the victim of someone being deliberately homophobic. The retelling of it in this account indicates to me that it's lost none of its sting, despite many of his coworkers standing up for him.
So, in a way, this book is an unconscious meditation of what it means to be in the closet even though Patterson repeatedly tells readers that people knew, he also makes it clear that they learned this information by watching him or seeing him interact with Louie, and that he would often deny it if asked. According to the narrative, it's only since filming some sort of wrestling-themed reality TV in the past couple of years that Patterson has been publicly "out." (He also mentions repeatedly that many people over the course of his career had told him to write a book, but he'd repeatedly put it off, and I don't think that's a coincidence.)
I really enjoyed this book not as a meditation as a 58 year career in professional wrestling or how difficult working in that business was (and probably still is) but as a sort of freeing of self for Patterson, who seemed to finally feel able to show the entirety of his true self to the world. He mentions in this book that he's often still uncomfortable discussing it (which doesn't surprise me at all after a lifetime of hiding since hiding in plain sight is still hiding), but that it's becoming easier. And I think that was the most important and also most hopeful part of this entire work.
Don't get me wrong. It was pleasantly surprising to find out that professional wrestling in the 1960s-1980s wasn't a cesspit of homophobia and shittiness, but for me, the best part was reading this knowing the author finally felt free to share everything.
Okay, before I start yammering about the content, I want to say that this book is a very quick read; it's not long and there are a lot of pictures interspersed in the text, although I didn't find them distracting, which sometimes happens with too many images, especially when they're embedded in text. There's also a section of photographs in colour in the middle, as has become customary in a lot of biographies.
I should start out by saying that I didn't pick up this book because I'm a fan of professional wrestling (I can vaguely remember my father watching it when I was little on Saturday afternoons maybe), but I was interested in seeing how Patterson's sexuality played a part in his career in what I assumed (and still assume) is a very macho business. And this is probably a good thing because Patterson isn't writing a tell-all in the least. This is clearly not the book of a man done with the business or one who feels like it's wronged him in any way.
So, all that being said, the wrestling promotions and people he names are mostly unknown to me (except the Rock, but I think you'd have had to have been living under a rock for the last 10 years not to know who he is), but that's not largely the point of this book. Okay, the friendships he's made over the course of his life are absolutely the point of this book (and he devotes a lot of words to characters like Ray Stevens, Vince McMahon Sr, and Vince McMahon Jr), but it's mostly in the service of relating the story of how absolutely normal his experience and career was.
All that being said, there are some very poignant moments in this book, most especially near the end where he talks about his late boyfriend Louie and how he's never really been able to call him that, instead always using the words "my friend Louie." He talks candidly about the homophobic promoters for whom he worked, and how having met him and his partner, their attitudes seemed to have changed. (I also found his absolute bewilderment over segregation in Texas in the late 1960s a very interesting bit of social commentary.)
All that being equal, he also lists one of his worst experiences as a wrestler/producer as one where he was the victim of someone being deliberately homophobic. The retelling of it in this account indicates to me that it's lost none of its sting, despite many of his coworkers standing up for him.
So, in a way, this book is an unconscious meditation of what it means to be in the closet even though Patterson repeatedly tells readers that people knew, he also makes it clear that they learned this information by watching him or seeing him interact with Louie, and that he would often deny it if asked. According to the narrative, it's only since filming some sort of wrestling-themed reality TV in the past couple of years that Patterson has been publicly "out." (He also mentions repeatedly that many people over the course of his career had told him to write a book, but he'd repeatedly put it off, and I don't think that's a coincidence.)
I really enjoyed this book not as a meditation as a 58 year career in professional wrestling or how difficult working in that business was (and probably still is) but as a sort of freeing of self for Patterson, who seemed to finally feel able to show the entirety of his true self to the world. He mentions in this book that he's often still uncomfortable discussing it (which doesn't surprise me at all after a lifetime of hiding since hiding in plain sight is still hiding), but that it's becoming easier. And I think that was the most important and also most hopeful part of this entire work.
Don't get me wrong. It was pleasantly surprising to find out that professional wrestling in the 1960s-1980s wasn't a cesspit of homophobia and shittiness, but for me, the best part was reading this knowing the author finally felt free to share everything.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2017
Pat Patterson was a household name in the Bay Area when I was growing up so his autobiography was welcome and informative.
I didn't even know he was French-Canadian, much less gay. He had a clunky voice when he go on a post-TV match rage ("I'm gonna beat him senseless, then go to hospital and turn the bed over on him" and so forth) that reminded me of a mentally challenged guy. Then I read these I find out he was a trusted advisor of both Roy Shire in the Bay Area and ultimately Vince McMahon in nationwide WWE, helping craft the "sport's" long con story lines.
His stories of Pepper Martin, Ray Stevens, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, etc., brought back so many childhood and teen memories. At one point he mentioned losing the "foreign object" he was trying to "load" into his mask into the crowd and both he and Martin, his opponent, desperately trying to get it back before a fan got it and learned too much about the "business" or "kayfabe" of how the matches come together. That story cracked me up as I remember going to the Cow Palace and watching him fight Ernie Ladd two of three falls for some championship or other. He loaded the mask, head butted Ladd and was DQ'ed from the first fall.... only to have the referee award the next two falls and the match to Pat because Ernie was too badly cut to continue from the head butt!
Pat's stories of growing up as Pierre Clermont in a crappy Montreal neighborhood hit hard for someone who grew up middle class. His stories of being semi-openly-gay in the 50s-60s-70s on to the present were also eye opening. To be honest, being a straight kid in the Bay Area, it was almost as if gay people were invented in the '80s in the Castro District. With acceptance still a struggle, it's hard to imagine Pat's life in mid-Century.
Less dramatic, but still informative was how fearful the wrestlers were/are of the public and how dangerous some of the California arenas were for them to enter and exit. Once, in Sacramento, me and a friend, loudly pointed out that SD Jones hadn't had his leg broken in the Battle Royal when we saw him walking down the street, then screamed "there they go!" when the Masked Interns thought they had snuck out a back door. Sorry guys!
Enjoyed the book a lot. All the heroes of the A's, Raiders, Warriors and so on have been covered. To finally read for certain that Pat Patterson the wrestler didn't own the Cadillac dealership of the same name in Oakland and many other tidbits was like filling in the blanks of a
I didn't even know he was French-Canadian, much less gay. He had a clunky voice when he go on a post-TV match rage ("I'm gonna beat him senseless, then go to hospital and turn the bed over on him" and so forth) that reminded me of a mentally challenged guy. Then I read these I find out he was a trusted advisor of both Roy Shire in the Bay Area and ultimately Vince McMahon in nationwide WWE, helping craft the "sport's" long con story lines.
His stories of Pepper Martin, Ray Stevens, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, etc., brought back so many childhood and teen memories. At one point he mentioned losing the "foreign object" he was trying to "load" into his mask into the crowd and both he and Martin, his opponent, desperately trying to get it back before a fan got it and learned too much about the "business" or "kayfabe" of how the matches come together. That story cracked me up as I remember going to the Cow Palace and watching him fight Ernie Ladd two of three falls for some championship or other. He loaded the mask, head butted Ladd and was DQ'ed from the first fall.... only to have the referee award the next two falls and the match to Pat because Ernie was too badly cut to continue from the head butt!
Pat's stories of growing up as Pierre Clermont in a crappy Montreal neighborhood hit hard for someone who grew up middle class. His stories of being semi-openly-gay in the 50s-60s-70s on to the present were also eye opening. To be honest, being a straight kid in the Bay Area, it was almost as if gay people were invented in the '80s in the Castro District. With acceptance still a struggle, it's hard to imagine Pat's life in mid-Century.
Less dramatic, but still informative was how fearful the wrestlers were/are of the public and how dangerous some of the California arenas were for them to enter and exit. Once, in Sacramento, me and a friend, loudly pointed out that SD Jones hadn't had his leg broken in the Battle Royal when we saw him walking down the street, then screamed "there they go!" when the Masked Interns thought they had snuck out a back door. Sorry guys!
Enjoyed the book a lot. All the heroes of the A's, Raiders, Warriors and so on have been covered. To finally read for certain that Pat Patterson the wrestler didn't own the Cadillac dealership of the same name in Oakland and many other tidbits was like filling in the blanks of a
December 30, 2020
great discussion of patterson's early life and times in montreal, his early career, and the travails (which were surprisingly few, because this guy truly was a "bro," "one of the boys," his sexual orientation and love of big band music notwithstanding) of being a prominent gay athlete during the 60s and 70s. also, if you read between the lines, you can see how patterson--who talks about his love of "pranks" and "ribs"--came to be perceived by some as a pretty nasty piece of work.
but once you get to his days as a WWE stooge, the text seems to have been run through a company censor. there's mild criticism here and there--it's interesting to know that he disliked the "stooge" stuff simply because he and brisco had once been great performers in the ring, and he didn't like how reduced they were by that point--but it's really pretty toothless stuff.
all in all, i'm happy patterson did well for himself. along with gay bodybuilder chris dickerson (a one-time mr. olympia), patterson was one of the most notable LGBTIQ performers of his generation, and i'm glad he had a chance to document his story.
edit: here's my obituary for Patterson, which ran in The Ringer this month - https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/3/2...
but once you get to his days as a WWE stooge, the text seems to have been run through a company censor. there's mild criticism here and there--it's interesting to know that he disliked the "stooge" stuff simply because he and brisco had once been great performers in the ring, and he didn't like how reduced they were by that point--but it's really pretty toothless stuff.
all in all, i'm happy patterson did well for himself. along with gay bodybuilder chris dickerson (a one-time mr. olympia), patterson was one of the most notable LGBTIQ performers of his generation, and i'm glad he had a chance to document his story.
edit: here's my obituary for Patterson, which ran in The Ringer this month - https://www.theringer.com/2020/12/3/2...
September 5, 2016
A wonderful autobiography that dives deep and passionate into the self-acceptance of a gay man in the ultimate alpha-male world of Professional Wrestling/Sports Entertainment. The biggest take-away is that the unconditional love that one can have for their partner can sway the opinions of even the most judgmental parties. Pat & Louie showed a whole new population what a real relationship & bond was and respect was ultimately given to them. This rags-to-riches tale is a roller coaster of an adventure with great stories from one of the best pranksters the squared circle has ever seen. A great read for anyone who believes in the power of the human spirit, and the drive to succeed both personally and professionally.
January 25, 2018
3.5 stars. I wanted more out of this book. Plain and simple. To be honest, I cannot be that upset with the book if it being too short is its biggest fault. I just compared it to other wrestling bios I have read, and I just wanted more of the stories, especially since Pat is a rare instance of being a superstar in the ring and in the office. To be fair, Pat mentions numerous times throughout how silly the thought of people wanting his book seemed, so I cannot blame him for how this played out.
I would recommended this to anyone who wants to get a feel for how wrestling bios read before going into some longer ones. Also, Pat has a lot of great stories about never letting his sexuality become an issue. So, it is a good read for that.
I would recommended this to anyone who wants to get a feel for how wrestling bios read before going into some longer ones. Also, Pat has a lot of great stories about never letting his sexuality become an issue. So, it is a good read for that.
May 29, 2016
A life well lived! It is refreshing to know of a person bravely living his life true to his own values and beliefs. I enjoyed reading of the time line of the WWE and the stars and how they interacted. I think it is wonderful to know of these relationships and mentorships. It is so interesting that in terms of "acceptance" many of these players were ahead of their time. While many will read for the WWE story they are sure to come away with so much more. A good read.
June 2, 2019
One of the more upbeat autobiographies I have read. Patterson gives mainly the highlights of his life and career, not really getting all that in-depth on much, but as he is an entertaining storyteller, Accepted makes for a great read. I got through it much faster than I expected, and I think that is mainly due to Pat keeping to the main point of any story he is telling and not getting bogged down in the minutae.
July 11, 2016
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway. My opinion is just that...mine...and completely unbiased.
Pat draws you into his legit life story without using an angle to win you over. The result is a payoff that ends with a pop! His face in the squared circle put a lot of butts in the seats, and his story has a clean finish.
Pat draws you into his legit life story without using an angle to win you over. The result is a payoff that ends with a pop! His face in the squared circle put a lot of butts in the seats, and his story has a clean finish.
June 23, 2019
This is a solid read for any Wrestling Fan.
I had no idea that Pat Patterson did so much behind the scenes. He was the Vice President of the WWF for over a decade. He is still a consultant today and helps wrestlers with their story lines and to hone their craft.
Also he wrestled for 20 years while being half in the closet starting in the 60s.
I had no idea that Pat Patterson did so much behind the scenes. He was the Vice President of the WWF for over a decade. He is still a consultant today and helps wrestlers with their story lines and to hone their craft.
Also he wrestled for 20 years while being half in the closet starting in the 60s.
July 21, 2016
Full disclosure: this book was high on my list because of my love of Wrestling. This book is a great look into the life of an openly gay wrestler. I couldn't put it down! A wonderful read! I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, so I could give an unbiased review.
December 23, 2018
Excellent wrestling biography. Good stories about the territory days, his relationship with promoters and how he and Louie got along with everyone.
Good stories about traveling with Ray Stephens and "Junior."
Good stories about traveling with Ray Stephens and "Junior."
August 9, 2024
This was a very touching story about one young man's rise from a poor Montreal life to eventually becoming an internationally known wrestler and entertainer. Although he does touch on his wrestling career, it is mainly a reflection on his life in the business.
October 12, 2016
Great book for all wrestling fans. Very entertaining.
November 12, 2016
A short great read
It a fun read on getting to know Pat Patterson on is life journey from being a wrestler to being behind the scenes with wwe. I re omens for wrestling fans.
It a fun read on getting to know Pat Patterson on is life journey from being a wrestler to being behind the scenes with wwe. I re omens for wrestling fans.
February 17, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. You got some great wrestling stories and some background of an influential figure in professional wrestling. It was a good mix of funny and sweet.
September 4, 2017
A touching story about a wrestler in an era before I started watching, but has a storied involvement with WWE. A nice walk through wrestling history.
December 18, 2017
Sensational
I found the stories here to be funny and sad and touching. Thank you pat for being you. Three stars.
I found the stories here to be funny and sad and touching. Thank you pat for being you. Three stars.
March 13, 2019
Loved it. Was Pat gay you'd never of known. He told us he was gay as many times as Shawn told us about him selling that property.
May 5, 2019
4.5 stars
May 8, 2019
Definitely not for those unfamiliar wirh wrestling, but an incredibly moving memoir. Would highly recommend.
February 10, 2017
Accepted is the autobiography of former wrestler Pat Patterson, the first openly gay pro-wrestler. I have been a wrestling fan for years and after reading this book I got a different perspective on the early years. It was a quick read and covered his life before wrestling, trying to break in, the early years, his main event years as well as the years he spent with Vince McMahon Sr. and Jr. in the production and creative roles he took on after he stopped wrestling in the ring.
I did expect a bit more emphasis on the struggles he faced being a gay man during that time as well as in a "macho" environment, but it didn't seem that Pat and his longtime partner of 40 years, Louie really had a lot of issues. It seemed they were accepted and considered part of the club which surprised me. There were times that I was confused because he talked about people in the business knowing that he was a gay man, then would say that he kept that part of his life to himself and people didn't know. I did enjoy the stories about his practical jokes that he played on his friends and the descriptions of the various wrestling matches. So many of the wrestlers I have seen and cheered for were part of his story. He did not get bogged down with the seedy side of wrestling, but it was mentioned, specifically the way the wrestlers were treated by the promoters, the low pay they used to receive as well as getting the boot when they were injured. A far cry from the way they are treated today. Some things I didn't know was that Pat came up with the idea of the Royal Rumble as well as the fact that some of my favourite wrestlers such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Daniel Bryan would not have been where they were if he had not gone to bat for them with Vince McMahon.
Accepted had some really good moments but I wanted more. It was a pretty short book, which seems weird considering Pat wrestled for decades. More road stories, more backstage machinations, generally more everything, would have been nice. I do like that he does some fundraising for Gay youth to help them deal with situations where they might have problems with family and acceptance. I must admit, I have read some wrestling books that were much better written than this one, you can see his French Language coming out in this book with some grammar issues, but still, it was a decent read. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
I did expect a bit more emphasis on the struggles he faced being a gay man during that time as well as in a "macho" environment, but it didn't seem that Pat and his longtime partner of 40 years, Louie really had a lot of issues. It seemed they were accepted and considered part of the club which surprised me. There were times that I was confused because he talked about people in the business knowing that he was a gay man, then would say that he kept that part of his life to himself and people didn't know. I did enjoy the stories about his practical jokes that he played on his friends and the descriptions of the various wrestling matches. So many of the wrestlers I have seen and cheered for were part of his story. He did not get bogged down with the seedy side of wrestling, but it was mentioned, specifically the way the wrestlers were treated by the promoters, the low pay they used to receive as well as getting the boot when they were injured. A far cry from the way they are treated today. Some things I didn't know was that Pat came up with the idea of the Royal Rumble as well as the fact that some of my favourite wrestlers such as Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Rock and Daniel Bryan would not have been where they were if he had not gone to bat for them with Vince McMahon.
Accepted had some really good moments but I wanted more. It was a pretty short book, which seems weird considering Pat wrestled for decades. More road stories, more backstage machinations, generally more everything, would have been nice. I do like that he does some fundraising for Gay youth to help them deal with situations where they might have problems with family and acceptance. I must admit, I have read some wrestling books that were much better written than this one, you can see his French Language coming out in this book with some grammar issues, but still, it was a decent read. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
April 2, 2021
There was a whole lot that I didn't know about Pat Patterson and his career. I was only familiar with him playing a 'stooge' for Vince McMahon when I was a kid and more recently, in 2014, when he appeared on WWE Network's reality show, 'Legends' House.' I remember watching the first episode or two but I never got around to finishing it. So I was surprised when I found out - much later - that Pat came out as gay in the finale. Ever since then, I've been meaning to read this book to learn about his experiences as a gay man in the professional wrestling business.
With that being said, I was not disappointed with the book. I felt like the chapters were well-segmented and nothing felt redundant. Pat also had enough personal anecdotes for each chapter to make them substantial - instead of a surface-level recap.
Of course, I was more interested in his later years with the WWE. I didn't know the names he mentioned in the chapters about the early days of his wrestling career. But it was still quite easy to follow. When it came to the WWE chapters, I also learnt a lot about him that I didn't know. For example, I had no idea he was the Vice President of the WWE at one point. And I was very happy that he dedicated a chapter to his time on 'Legends' House' especially considering how big his coming out moment was for him and the WWE.
Considering Pat passed away last year - four years after this book was published - it felt quite surreal reading about (almost) his entire life journey. Maybe because this is the first time I've read a memoir by someone in their late 70s too.
I would have given this book 4 stars if it had moved me emotionally, inspiring me in the process. But that wasn't the tone that Pat adopted for the book because I think that's just not his personality. It was more light-hearted and fun for the most part. So I want to give it a 3.5 stars but since GoodReads won't allow that, I've settled with 3 stars.
With that being said, I was not disappointed with the book. I felt like the chapters were well-segmented and nothing felt redundant. Pat also had enough personal anecdotes for each chapter to make them substantial - instead of a surface-level recap.
Of course, I was more interested in his later years with the WWE. I didn't know the names he mentioned in the chapters about the early days of his wrestling career. But it was still quite easy to follow. When it came to the WWE chapters, I also learnt a lot about him that I didn't know. For example, I had no idea he was the Vice President of the WWE at one point. And I was very happy that he dedicated a chapter to his time on 'Legends' House' especially considering how big his coming out moment was for him and the WWE.
Considering Pat passed away last year - four years after this book was published - it felt quite surreal reading about (almost) his entire life journey. Maybe because this is the first time I've read a memoir by someone in their late 70s too.
I would have given this book 4 stars if it had moved me emotionally, inspiring me in the process. But that wasn't the tone that Pat adopted for the book because I think that's just not his personality. It was more light-hearted and fun for the most part. So I want to give it a 3.5 stars but since GoodReads won't allow that, I've settled with 3 stars.
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