It was rumoured that a fifth name was being considered for the WWE Hall of Fame, and this morning it was announced that it is Thunderbolt Patterson.
Born Claude Patterson in Iowa, he made his wrestling debut in 1964 and would work throughout various American promotions and won significant titles in the 1970s, including the Florida Heavyweight Title by defeating Bruiser Brody and the United States Title, with a shock win over the legendary Sheik. He also was Ole Anderson’s tag team partner in 1984, where they held the National Tag Team Titles.
Patterson was not the smoothest in-ring worker, but he had charisma up the gills. He leaned into the shuck-and-jive promo style that would influence Dusty Rhodes. Patterson could draw people in and was very popular in many territories, but he was often unpopular with the powers that be behind the scenes.
Patterson always stood up for himself, and did so at a time when many white bosses (and peers) thought that she should stay quiet and be happy that he had a job. He fought for the rights of the workers, not just the black ones, but all. This led to Patterson often losing work, despite his proven ability to draw crowds.
Patterson is 82 but not in the best of health, so it is unknown whether he will attend the ceremony.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate Thunderbolt Patterson for this impending honor.
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