WRESTLER PROFILES

[Ken Patera Gallery] [Heenan Family Gallery]	Wrestler/Promoter: Ken Patera Real Name: Ken Patera? Birthday: November 6, 1942 Hometown: Portland, Oregon Marital Status: Height & Weight: 6'1" - 275 lbs Trained by: Verne Gagne Debut: 1973 Previous Names: Finishing Move: Swinging Full Nelson Favorite Moves: Notable Feuds: Dusty Rhodes Wahoo McDaniel Tony Atlas Bob Backlund Tommy Rich Jack Brisco Jim Brunzell (AWA) Greg Gagne (AWA) Dick The Bruiser Pedro Morales (WWF) Andre The Giant Bobby Heenan The Heenan Family Official Website: http://www.kenpatera.com
NWA (Texas) American Tag Team titles w/Tex McKenzie defeating Blackjack Mulligan & Blackjack Lanza (July 22, 1974); NWA (Tri State) United States Tag Team titles w/Killer Karl Kox defeating Randy Tyler & Bob Sweetan (October 19, 1976); PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1977).. NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Wahoo McDaniel (April 9, 1978); NWA Mid Atlantic Heavyweight title defeating Tony Atlas (October 21, 1978); NWA Mid Atlantic Tag Team titles w/John Studd defeating Ricky Steamboat & Paul Jones (January ??, 1979); WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight title defeating Pat Patterson (April 21, 1980); NWA Missouri Heavyweight title defeating Kevin Von Erich (April 25, 1980); SCW Southwest Brass Knuckles title defeating Tank Patton (????, 1981); NWA Georgia Heavyweight title defeating Tommy Rich (June 12, 1981); NWA Missouri Heavyweight title defeating Jack Brisco (October 23, 1981); PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (1981).. CWA (Memphis) International Heavyweight title defeating Jerry Lawler (May 16, 1983); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Jerry Blackwell defeating Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell (June 26, 1983); CWA (Memphis) International Heavyweight title defeating Jerry Lawler (August 15, 1983); AWA World Tag Team titles w/Brad Rheingans defeating Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond (March 25, 1989); PWA (Pro Wrestling America) Tag Team titles w/Baron Von Raschke defeating The Punishers (December 29, 1991);
In The Beginning: Ken Patera grew up in Portland, Oregon and became a world class power-lifter.. 1971: Ken Patera won four gold medals in power-lifting at the Pan American games.. 1972: Ken Patera represented the United States of American in the Summer Olympics.. Getting into the Business: Ken Patera trained with Verne Gagne in Minneapolis and made his professional wrestling debut in 1973.. World Wrestling Federation + Other Territories: 1977: Ken Patera used his swinging full nelson to injure several wrestlers in the WWWF and was voted PWI's "Most Hated Wrestler." 1977: Ken Patera participated in several World's Strongest Man competitions which are often shown on ESPN or TSN even today.. 1977: Ken Patera challenged WWWF World Champion, Bruno Sammartino, at Madison Square Garden in New York.. January 25, 1978: Dusty Rhodes defeated Ken Patera in the semi-main event at the Orange Bowl in Florida.. 1978: Ken Patera defeated Wahoo McDaniel to capture the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title.. Ken Patera dropped and recaptured the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title during a feud with Tony Atlas.. 1978: Ken Patera challenged WWWF World Champion, Bob Backlund, on several live events.. 1979: Ken Patera teamed with Big John Studd to capture the Mid-Atlantic Tag Team titles.. April 1980: Ken Patera defeated Pat Patterson to capture the WWF Intercontinental title.. April 1980: Ken Patera defeated Kevin von Erich for the NWA Missouri title four days later.. Ken Patera held both titles for six months, splitting his time between the two promotions.. 1980: Bob Backlund defeated Ken Patera in a "Texas Death Match" to retain the WWWF World title.. 1981: Ken Patera defeated Tommy Rich and Jack Brisco to capture the Georgia and Missouri titles.. 1981: Ken Patera won his second Pro Wrestling Illustrated "Most Hated Wrestler" award.. American Wrestling Association: 1982: Ken Patera returned to the American Wrestling Association to be managed by Bobby Heenan.. 1983: Ken Patera jumped to Adnan Al-Kaissey's stable and formed a tag team with Jerry Blackwell called The Sheiks.. Ken Patera & Jerry Blackwell defeated The High Flyers (Greg Gagne & Jim Brunzell) for the AWA World Tag Team titles.. World Wrestling Federation: Ken Patera soon returned to the WWF and formed an alliance with Bobby "The Brain" Heenan & Big John Studd.. Ken Patera & Big John Studd were involved in the infamous hair-cutting incident with the legendary Andre the Giant.. April 6, 1984: Ken Patera & Mr. Saito threw a 30 pound boulder through the window of a McDonald's in Waukesha, Wisconsin.. ~~~Later that night, Ken Patera & Mr. Saito brawled with several police officers who were sent to arrest them.. ~~~Sixteen months later, they were found guilty of battery on a peace officer and sentenced to 2 years in prison.. November 13, 1984: Big John Studd & Ken Patera defeated Andre The Giant & Special Delivery Jones in a tag team match.. ~~~After the match, Studd & Patera shocked the wrestling world by cutting off pieces of Andre's trademark hair! Andre The Giant first disposed of Ken Patera, easily beating him in an epic Madison Square Garden grudge match.. 1985: Ken Patera was fired from the WWF after he was sentanced to two years in prison.. World Wrestling Federation: 1987: Ken Patera changed his life for the better and returned to the World Wrestling Federation - as a babyface.. Ken Patera began a mid-card feud with The Heenan Family and occasionally teamed with Billy Jack Haynes.. Ken Patera suffered an arm injury and was out of action for five months, and returned to very little success.. American Wrestling Association: 1989: Ken Patera returned to the AWA again, to form a tag team with fellow Olympian Brad Rheingans as The Olympians.. March 25, 1989: The Olympians defeated Badd Company (Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond) for the AWA World Tag Team titles.. Ken Patera & Brad Rheingans vacated the AWA World Tag team titles when Patera was "injured" by the Destruction Crew.. Ken Patera - Retirement: Ken Patera then went into semi-retirement working off and on in various independent promotions accross the U.S.A... Ken Patera will be remembered as one of the most effective heels in the history of professional wrestling.. 2002: A band called "The Swinging Neckbreakers" claim to have taken then name from watching Ken Patera wrestle when they were growing up.. September 15, 2007--South-Eastern Championship Wrestling: Ken Patera defeated Mr. America in Florence, Alabama ... May 3, 2008--National Wrestling Superstars: Chris Masters defeated Lamar Braxton Porter (Ken Patera was referee).