View source for Ken Patera

{{short description|American professional wrestler and weightlifter}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Ken Patera
| image = Ken Patera 1972.jpg
| caption = Patera, c. 1972
| birth_name = Kenneth Wayne Patera
| height = 6 ft 1 in<ref name=sr/>
| weight = 322 lb<ref name=sr/>
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|11|6}}<ref name=Legends/>
| birth_place = [[Portland, Oregon]], U.S.<ref name=Legends/>
| module = {{Infobox professional wrestler|child=yes
| names   = Ken Patera
| height  = 6 ft 1 in<ref name=Encyclopedia>{{cite book|title=WWE Encyclopedia|last1=Shields|first1=Brian|last2=Sullivan|first2=Kevin|page=[https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/170 170]|publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley|DK]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7566-4190-0|url=https://archive.org/details/wweencyclopediad0000shie/page/170}}</ref>
| weight  = 267 lbs<ref name=Encyclopedia/>
| billed  = Portland, Oregon
| trainer = [[Verne Gagne]]
| debut   = 1972
| retired = 2011
}}
| sport = [[Olympic weightlifting|Weightlifting]], [[powerlifting]], [[shot put]]
| pb = SP&nbsp;– 20.10 m (1972)<ref name=sr/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=5121&Gender=M |title=Ken Patera |website=trackfield.brinkster.net |access-date=June 1, 2022 |archive-date=August 26, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826140914/http://trackfield.brinkster.net/Profile.asp?ID=5121&Gender=M |url-status=live }}</ref>
| club = York Barbell Club
| alma_mater = 
| show-medals = yes
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Olympic weightlifting}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[World Weightlifting Championships]]}}
{{MedalSilver | 1971 Lima | +110 kg }}
{{MedalCompetition|[[Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalGold| [[1971 Pan American Games|1971 Cali]]| +110 kg }}
{{CompetitionRecordSport | [[Strongman (strength athlete)|Strongman]]}}
{{CompetitionRecordCountry | {{USA}} }}
{{CompetitionRecordCompetition | [[World's Strongest Man]] | }}
{{CompetitionRecordThird | [[1977 World's Strongest Man]] | }}
}}
'''Kenneth Wayne Patera''' (born November 6, 1942) is an American retired [[professional wrestler]], [[Olympic weightlifting|Olympic weightlifter]], and [[Strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]] competitor.<ref name=Legends>{{cite book|title=WWE Legends|last=Solomon|first=Brian|pages=[https://archive.org/details/wwelegends00solo/page/209 209–213]|publisher=[[Pocket Books]]|year=2006|isbn=978-0-7434-9033-7|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/wwelegends00solo/page/209}}</ref><ref name=sr/> He was well known in the [[World Wrestling Federation]] from 1976 to 1981, 1984 to 1985 and 1987 to 1988 and [[American Wrestling Association]].

==Early athletic career==
Ken Patera, from a [[Czech-American]] family, was strong and extraordinarily athletic, with many people in his family also successful in athletics. His brother, [[Jack Patera]], played football for the [[History of the Baltimore Colts|Baltimore Colts]] and was the head coach for the [[Seattle Seahawks]] from 1976 until 1982. His brother, [[Dennis Patera]], played for the [[San Francisco 49ers]]. Ken played football at [[Cleveland High School (Portland, Oregon)|Cleveland High School]] in Portland, Oregon, and wrestled at 193 pounds. Track and field was his first love, however, and he competed in the high hurdles and high jump, but a serious ankle injury forced him to switch to the shot put and discus in high school. Ken grew to become one of the nation's premier track and field weight throwers, competing at [[Brigham Young University]]. After his disappointing sixth-place<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf |title=Olympic Trials P146 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181123060342/http://www.usatf.org/statistics/champions/OlympicTrials/HistoryOfTheOlympicTrials.pdf |archive-date=November 23, 2018 |website=usatf.org |access-date=August 8, 2023}}</ref> finish in the shot-put at the 1968 Olympic trials, he turned his full and complete attention towards Olympic weightlifting.<ref name="Marty">{{cite web |last1=Gallagher |first1=Marty |title=Ken Patera: Power Personified |url=https://startingstrength.com/articles/patera_history_gallagher.pdf |date=2012 |website=Starting Strength |access-date=August 8, 2023 |archive-date=December 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181207150013/https://startingstrength.com/articles/patera_history_gallagher.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="bfs">{{Cite web |url=http://www.biggerfasterstronger.com/uploads2/82_FullYear_KenPatera.pdf |title=Ken Patera |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130610021927/https://www.biggerfasterstronger.com/uploads2/82_FullYear_KenPatera.pdf |archive-date=June 10, 2013 |first=Greg |last=Shepard |website=biggerfasterstronger.com |access-date=August 8, 2023}}</ref>

==Weightlifting career==
Before becoming a professional wrestler, Patera was a highly decorated Olympic weightlifter. He won several medals at the [[1971 Pan American Games]] (including gold in the weightlifting total),<ref name="hickoksports panam">{{cite web|url=http://www.hickoksports.com/history/panamweight.shtml#mo110|title=Pan American Games Weightlifting Medalists&nbsp;– Men (all weightclasses)|access-date=October 1, 2012|publisher=Hickok Sports.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050328085105/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/panamweight.shtml#mo110|archive-date=March 28, 2005}}</ref> and finished second in the [[1971 World Weightlifting Championships]] just behind [[Vasily Alekseyev]]. On his native soil, Patera won four consecutive [[USA Weightlifting#National events|U.S. Weightlifting Championships]] in the super heavyweight class from 1969 to 1972.<ref name="hickoksports">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hickoksports.com/history/usweightlifting.shtml#heavy|title=U. S. Weightlifting Champions&nbsp;– Men (all weightclasses)|access-date=October 1, 2012|publisher=Hickok Sports.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130426120248/http://www.hickoksports.com/history/usweightlifting.shtml#heavy|archive-date=April 26, 2013}}</ref> He was the first American to clean and jerk over 500&nbsp;lbs (227&nbsp;kg), which he accomplished at the 1972 Senior Nationals in Detroit.<ref name="Marty"/> He is also the only American to [[clean and press]] 500&nbsp;lbs (227&nbsp;kg), and was the last American super heavyweight for years to excel at weightlifting at an international level.<ref name="Marty"/> At the [[1972 Summer Olympics]] in [[Munich]], Germany, Patera was expected to be a serious competitor to Vasily Alekseyev, but he failed to total and was not among the medal recipients.<ref name="Marty"/><!-- User:Ceyockey confirmed by interrogation of the 1972 Munich Summer Olympics database that Patera was not among the medal recipients; http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/results/search_r_uk.asp = search interface --> After the clean and press, a lift in which Patera excelled, was eliminated from competition, Patera retired from weightlifting.<ref name=sr>{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pa/ken-patera-1.html |title=Ken Patera |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418092352/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pa/ken-patera-1.html |archive-date=April 18, 2020 |access-date=June 1, 2022}}</ref>

===Personal records===
''official records&nbsp;– all achieved at a meet in [[San Francisco]] on July 23, 1972''<ref name="Wilhelm">[http://www.cbass.com/Wilhelm.htm Bruce Wilhelm, Ken Patera, Pat Casey] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304150505/https://cbass.com/Wilhelm.htm |date=March 4, 2021 }}. Cbass.com (March 25, 1967). Retrieved on July 14, 2016.</ref>
* [[Snatch (weightlifting)|Snatch]]&nbsp;– {{convert|386.5|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
* [[Clean and jerk]]&nbsp;– {{convert|505.5|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
* [[Clean and press]]&nbsp;– {{convert|505.5|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
* Olympic three-lift total&nbsp;– {{convert|1,397.5|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
* The highest three-lift total ever made by an American<ref name="Marty"/>

When measured for the 1972 Olympics, he weighed {{convert|321.4|lb|kg|abbr=on}} at a height of {{convert|6|ft|1.75|in|m|abbr=on}}.

==Strongman career==
Patera competed in the inaugural [[1977 World's Strongest Man|World's Strongest Man contest in 1977]], finishing third behind [[Bruce Wilhelm]] and [[Bob Young (offensive lineman)|Bob Young]].

Being a legitimate weightlifter and strongman, Patera also performed feats of strength during his wrestling career. On an episode of ''Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling'', in 1978, Patera and [[Tony Atlas]] performed various feats of strength, including driving nails through boards, [[Hot water bottle blowing|blowing up a hot water bottle]] until it popped, bending spikes wrapped in a towel and bending bars over their necks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://napalmjedd.blogspot.com/2007/08/ken-patera-tony-atlas-feats-of-strength.html |title=Napalm Jedd Johnson of the Diesel Crew: Ken Patera&nbsp;– Feats of Strength |work=Napalmjedd.blogspot.com |date=August 12, 2007 |access-date=July 14, 2016 |archive-date=September 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903085007/http://napalmjedd.blogspot.com/2007/08/ken-patera-tony-atlas-feats-of-strength.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Professional wrestling career==
===Early career (1972–1976)===
Patera became a "strongman" in professional wrestling in 1972, following his weightlifting career. After a stint in the [[American Wrestling Association|AWA]], his first major feud was in the [[Jim Crockett Promotions|Mid-Atlantic territory]] against then United States Heavyweight Champion [[Johnny Valentine]] in 1975, with Patera as the [[Face (professional wrestling)|babyface]]. The Patera-Valentine house show runs were set up by a TV angle in which Valentine would draw a name out of a fishbowl every week, and the next week wrestle the man whose name he drew. For the first few weeks, Valentine drew the names of one [[Job (professional wrestling)|jobber]] after another, all the time voicing his opposition to wrestling Patera. Finally, Valentine drew a name&nbsp;– and it was Patera's. Patera then appeared on screen and revealed that he had replaced every slip of paper with one that said "Ken Patera". The next week, the two men met in a 10-minute time limit match on TV, with Patera putting Valentine under with a headlock/chinlock when the bell rang to signify the time limit had expired. Officially, the match ended in a draw, but with Patera on the verge of defeating Valentine (who had been portrayed as nearly unbeatable) on television. The two were matched in a series of house show main events, with Valentine always coming out on top and retaining the U.S. championship.
[[File:Kevin Von Erich and Ken Patera, 1980.png|thumb|250x250px|Patera on the ground during a match against [[Kevin Von Erich]], 1980]]
Patera wrestled mainly as a heel for the [[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]] (WWF), [[National Wrestling Alliance]] (NWA), and [[American Wrestling Association]] (AWA) during the 1970s.

===World Wide Wrestling Federation (1976–1978)===
Patera made his debut for the World Wide Wrestling Federation in 1976. In 1977, he challenged [[Bruno Sammartino]] for the [[WWE Championship|WWWF Heavyweight Championship]].<ref>{{cite book|title=The History of Professional Wrestling: The Results WWF 1963–1989|last=Cawthon|first=Graham|page=203|publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4928-2597-5}}</ref> This was a huge draw around the northeastern part of the United States and at [[Madison Square Garden]], and was one of Sammartino's last great challengers before losing the title to [[Superstar Billy Graham]], which ended his second, shorter WWF title reign. When [[Bob Backlund]] later won the title, Patera also unsuccessfully challenged him. At the height of his career, in 1980, he simultaneously held the WWF's [[WWE Intercontinental Championship|Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship]], and the [[NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship]], two very prestigious titles of that era. He was one of the most hated [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heels]] in wrestling (winning ''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]''{{'}}s Most Hated Wrestler Award in 1977), and often used his swinging [[full nelson]] to "injure" babyface opponents during matches (most notably [[Adnan Al-Kaissie|Billy White Wolf]] in August 1977).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/k/ken-patera.php |title=Ken Patera |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100401190326/http://www.obsessedwithwrestling.com/profiles/k/ken-patera.php |archive-date=April 1, 2010 |work=Obsessed with wrestling |access-date=July 14, 2016}}</ref> In 1978, he feuded with WWWF Champion [[Bob Backlund]] and left the WWWF later that year.

===Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling (1978–1979)===
Patera returned to the Mid-Atlantic territory as a heel, defeating area legend Chief [[Wahoo McDaniel]] for the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship in April 1978. Patera held that title, off and on, for over a year, losing it to, and regaining it from, Tony Atlas. Patera then lost the title to fellow AWA alumnus [[Jim Brunzell]], in Richmond, Virginia.
[[File:Ken Patera 1983.png|thumb|Ken Patera in 1983]]

===Return to World Wrestling Federation (1979–1981)===
In fall of 1979, Patera returned to the WWWF which was now called the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He won the [[WWF Intercontinental Championship]] on April 21, 1980 in New York City defeating [[Pat Patterson]]. Patera would become the second champion ever to hold the title. He dropped the title to [[Pedro Morales]] on December 8, 1980.

===Various promotions (1976–1984)===
While during his time in the WWWF/WWF, Patera worked in various territories. In 1976, he worked for [[NWA Tri-State Wrestling]] and won the Brass Knuckle Championship. During this time Patera worked in Toronto from 1977 to 1981, Central States from 1983 to 1984, Montreal from 1983 to 1984 and St. Louis from 1980 to 1984. He won the [[NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship]] twice.

In 1977, he made his debut in Japan for [[All Japan Pro Wrestling]]. In 1980, he made his debut for [[New Japan Pro Wrestling]] losing to [[Antonio Inoki]]. He did two more tours for New Japan in 1981, and 1984.

===American Wrestling Association (1981–1984)===
Patera was an integral part of [[the Heenan Family]] in the AWA (1982–1983), and later in the WWF (1984–1985). While in the AWA, he feuded with [[Hulk Hogan]], [[Greg Gagne (wrestler)|Greg Gagne]] and Jim Brunzell. During Heenan's absence in 1983, caused by a neck injury, Patera joined forces with manager [[Adnan Al-Kaissie|Sheik Adnan El-Kaissie]] and formed a tag team with Jerry Blackwell known as "the Sheiks" (with Patera calling himself "Sheik Lawrence of Arabia"); both men wore Arabian-style garments and feuded with the High Flyers (Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell) over the [[AWA World Tag Team Championship]], winning the belts in June 1983. Patera and Blackwell later lost the titles to [[Baron von Raschke]] and [[The Crusher (wrestler)|the Crusher]].

===Second Return to World Wrestling Federation (1984–1985, 1987–1988)===
Patera returned to the WWF and resumed his feud with Hogan, challenging him for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship on May 25, 1985 at the [[Spectrum (arena)|Spectrum]] and also assisted [[Big John Studd]] in his feud with [[André the Giant]], helping Studd cut Andre's hair after both had attacked him in December 1984. In June 1985, Patera went to prison for assaulting a police officer and did not wrestle for nearly two years.

The WWF brought Patera back to the company in the spring of 1987 after he had spent the previous year in prison (see below), airing vignettes on WWF TV and releasing a [[Coliseum Video]] cassette entitled ''The Ken Patera Story'', which chronicled his career and his return. He was in top physical condition at this point, and his appearance had changed, as he wore natural brown hair, rather than his previous bleached blonde look. On the ''Right After Wrestling'' program on [[Sirius Satellite Radio]] Channel 98, Patera told hosts [[Arda Ocal]] and [[Jimmy Korderas]] that his natural hair color was brown and he had decided to wrestle in his natural hair color later in his career.<ref name="rightafterwrestling">{{cite web|url=http://radio.thescore.com/episodes/ken-patera-interview-nov-1-2010 |title=Ken Patera talks about his natural hair color |access-date=November 1, 2010 |work=SIRIUS Radio 98 |publisher=[[The Score Satellite Radio]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20110101103942/http://radio.thescore.com/episodes/ken-patera-interview-nov-1-2010 |archive-date=January 1, 2011 }}</ref> To ensure he would be accepted as a babyface, he claimed that former [[Manager (professional wrestling)|manager]] Bobby Heenan had abandoned him and "sold him down the river" while he was in prison. Patera and Heenan held a debate to air their differences, which turned into a physical confrontation between the two that culminated in Patera swinging Heenan with a belt around his neck, causing Heenan to appear on television with a neck brace for months. Patera then began feuding with the Heenan Family (at the time composed of [[Paul Orndorff]], [[Harley Race]], [[King Kong Bundy]] and [[Hercules (wrestler)|Hercules]]). In his first match back at Madison Square Garden, the final match of the night, he defeated [[the Honky Tonk Man]] via submission with a bearhug, to a huge ovation.

Shortly after his return, Patera ruptured the biceps tendon in his right arm, which led him to miss some time and re-emerge afterward with a stiff and bulky full-length brace for protection. Within six months, Patera was being defeated by newer, younger talent and found himself floundering in a mid-card tag team with fellow Oregonian [[Billy Jack Haynes]]. The pair would later feud with [[Demolition (professional wrestling)|Demolition]] after a televised match where Demolition left Haynes, Patera, and [[Dean Peters|Brady Boone]] (who played Haynes' cousin) beaten and lying in the ring.<ref name=WWF6389Book>{{cite book | first=Graham | last=Cawthon | title=the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 1: WWF 1963&nbsp;– 1989  | publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | year= 2013 | isbn=978-1492825975}}</ref> In his final televised WWF matches in late 1988 (losses to [[Allen Coage|Bad News Brown]], [[Dino Bravo]], [[Ron Bass (wrestler)|"Outlaw" Ron Bass]], [[One Man Gang]], [["Ravishing" Rick Rude]], [[Curt Hennig]], [[Ted Dibiase]], [[Dan Marsh|"Dangerous" Danny Davis]], [[Haku (wrestler)]], [[Boris Zhukov]], [[The Honky Tonk Man]], [[Greg Valentine]], and "Red Rooster" [[Terry Taylor]]), commentators [[Gorilla Monsoon]] and [[Lord Alfred Hayes]] remarked on-air that Patera's skills were in decline and that he should consider retirement. His final appearance for the WWF was at the [[Survivor Series (1988)|1988 Survivor Series]] on November 24, where he was the first member of his team to be eliminated when [["Ravishing" Rick Rude]] pinned him with the Rude Awakening.

===Return to American Wrestling Association (1989–1990)===
Patera returned to the AWA in early 1989 and unsuccessfully challenged the new AWA world champion [[Larry Zbyszko]] for the title. He then teamed with [[Brad Rheingans]] as "the Olympians." The team defeated [[Badd Company]] for the [[AWA World Tag Team Championship]] shortly thereafter, but their reign was brief. Fellow weightlifter-turned-wrestler [[Wayne Bloom]] challenged Patera to a "car-lifting challenge" in order to get a title shot for him and his partner, [[Mike Enos]]. When it was Patera's turn to lift, Enos and manager Johnny Valiant attacked and (kayfabe) injured Patera and Rheingans. This led to the AWA stripping Patera and Rheingans of the title. Rheingans left wrestling for several months in order to have a legitimate knee operation. Patera continued to feud with Bloom and Enos until he left the AWA. Upon his return to the AWA in early 1990, Rheingans resumed the feud until the AWA's demise.

===Later career (1990–2011)===
Patera went on to wrestle for [[Herb Abrams]]' UWF, as well as PWA and on independent cards primarily in the Minnesota area well into the 1990s, sometimes even promoting his own events. In December 1991 he traveled to Graz, Austria and unsuccessfully challenged [[Luc Poirier|Rambo]] for the [[CWA World Heavyweight Championship]]. On August 12, 2011, Patera made a special in-ring appearance at [[Juggalo Championship Wrestling]]'s "Legends & Icons" event, facing Bob Backlund in a losing effort.<ref>{{cite web |title=Events Database&nbsp;— West Coast Championship Wrestling|url=https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=281&page=4&year=2011&promotion=316 |website=Cage Match |access-date=April 27, 2024|quote=12.8.2011}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Patera is the younger brother of [[Jack Patera]], who coached the [[National Football League|NFL]]'s [[Seattle Seahawks]] from [[1976 NFL season|1976]] to [[1982 NFL season|1982]]. He is also the brother of former San Francisco 49ers player [[Dennis Patera]].

He has been married (and divorced) three times and has two daughters.<ref name="wweprof">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/classics/wherearetheynow/paterapart2|title=Catching up with Ken Patera: Part 2|last=Murphy|first=Ryan|date=November 11, 2010|work=wwe.com|access-date=January 4, 2015|archive-date=September 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903091747/https://www.wwe.com/classics/wherearetheynow/paterapart2|url-status=live}}</ref>

On April 6, 1984, Patera was denied service after hours at a [[McDonald's]] restaurant in [[Waukesha, Wisconsin]], prompting the angry wrestler to throw a rock through a window of the building (Patera claims that a former employee threw the rock, but he received the blame). He and fellow AWA [[heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] [[Masa Saito]] later assaulted the police officers sent to arrest Patera at the hotel where they were sharing a room. Sixteen months later, at which point Patera was in the WWF, he was sentenced to two years in [[prison]].<ref name=Legends/><ref>[http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwithkenpatera.aspx rfvideo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190406041126/http://www.rfvideo.com/shootwithkenpatera.aspx |date=April 6, 2019 }}. rfvideo. Retrieved on July 14, 2016.</ref>

In July 2016, Patera was named part of a [[class action]] lawsuit filed against WWE which alleged that wrestlers incurred traumatic brain injuries during their tenure and that the company concealed the risks of injury. The suit was litigated by attorney Konstantine Kyros, who has been involved in a number of other lawsuits against WWE.<ref>{{cite web|title=WWE sued in wrestler class action lawsuit featuring Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka, Paul 'Mr Wonderful' Orndorff|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/what-the-fox/wwe-sued-in-wrestler-class-action-lawsuit-featuring-jimmy-superfly-snuka-paul-mr-wonderful-orndorff/news-story/079fbd7db16f9cd71b7b569672baa4a5|work=[[FoxSports.com]]|date=July 18, 2015|access-date=July 20, 2016|publisher=[[Fox Entertainment Group]] ([[21st Century Fox]])|archive-date=June 12, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612225020/https://www.foxsports.com.au/what-the-fox/wwe-sued-in-wrestler-class-action-lawsuit-featuring-jimmy-superfly-snuka-paul-mr-wonderful-orndorff/news-story/079fbd7db16f9cd71b7b569672baa4a5|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2018, US District Judge [[Vanessa Lynne Bryant]] dismissed the lawsuit.<ref>{{cite web|title=Piledriver: WWE uses 'Hell in a Cell' as springboard to future shows|url=https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2018/09/22/wwe-uses-hell-cell-springboard-future-shows/1394073002/|work=[[Montgomery Advertiser]]|last=Robinson|first=Byron|date=September 22, 2018|access-date=October 23, 2018|archive-date=April 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410142000/https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/2018/09/22/wwe-uses-hell-cell-springboard-future-shows/1394073002/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2020, an appeal for the lawsuit was dismissed by a federal appeals court.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former WWE Wrestlers' Lawsuit Over Brain Damage Is Dismissed |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2020-09-09/former-wwe-wrestlers-lawsuit-over-brain-damage-is-dismissed |access-date=January 1, 2021 |work=US News |date=September 9, 2020 |archive-date=May 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210513232750/https://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2020-09-09/former-wwe-wrestlers-lawsuit-over-brain-damage-is-dismissed |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Championships and accomplishments==
*'''[[American Wrestling Association]]'''
**[[AWA World Tag Team Championship]] ([[List of AWA World Tag Team Champions|2 times]])&nbsp;– with [[Brad Rheingans]] (1) and [[Jerry Blackwell]] (1)
*'''[[Cauliflower Alley Club]]'''
**Men's Wrestling Award (2016)<ref>[http://www.pwinsider.com/article/99891/arn-anderson-paul-orndorff-trish-stratus-and-more-to-be-honored-by-cauliflower-alley-club.html?p=1 Arn Anderson, Paul Orndorff, Trish Stratus And More To Be Honored By Cauliflower Alley Club] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210716054130/https://www.pwinsider.com/article/99891/arn-anderson-paul-orndorff-trish-stratus-and-more-to-be-honored-by-cauliflower-alley-club.html?p=1 |date=July 16, 2021 }}. PWInsider.com (February 16, 2016). Retrieved on July 14, 2016.</ref>
**Other honoree ([[Cauliflower Alley Club#1999|1999]])
*'''[[Continental Wrestling Association]]'''
**[[AWA International Heavyweight Championship|CWA International Heavyweight Championship]] ([[AWA International Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])
*'''[[Georgia Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA Georgia Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])
*'''[[Jim Crockett Promotions|Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])
**[[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship]] ([[NWA Mid-Atlantic Tag Team Championship#Title history|1 time]])&nbsp;– with [[Big John Studd|John Studd]]
*'''[[World Class Championship Wrestling|NWA Big Time Wrestling]]'''
**[[WCWA World Heavyweight Championship|NWA American Heavyweight Championship]] ([[WCWA World Heavyweight Championship#Title history|1 time]])<ref name=TexAmBook>{{cite book |author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will |title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications |chapter = Texas: NWA / World Class American Heavyweight Title [Von Eric]| pages = 265–266 |year= 2000 |isbn=0-9698161-5-4}}</ref><ref name=US-Am>{{cite web | url=http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/wccw/am-h.html | title=NWA United States Heavyweight Title (1967-1968/05) - American Heavyweight Title (1968/05-1986/02) | work=Wrestling-Titles | access-date=December 26, 2019 | archive-date=September 28, 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928152246/http://www.wrestling-titles.com/us/tx/wccw/am-h.html | url-status=live }}</ref>
*'''[[Universal Wrestling Federation (Bill Watts)|NWA Tri-State]]'''
**NWA Tri-State Brass Knuckles Championship (1 time)
**[[NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)|NWA United States Tag Team Championship ''(Tri-State version)'']] ([[NWA United States Tag Team Championship (Tri-State version)#Title history|1 time]])&nbsp;– with [[Herb Gerwig|Killer Karl Kox]]
*'''Pro Wrestling America'''
**PWA Tag Team Championships (1 time) - with Baron von Raschke
*'''''[[Pro Wrestling Illustrated]]'''''
**[[PWI Most Hated Wrestler of the Year]] (1977, 1981)
**PWI ranked him No. 127 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "[[PWI Years]]" in 2003
**PWI ranked him No. 75 of the 100 best tag teams of the "PWI Years"&nbsp;– with Jerry Blackwell in 2003
*'''[[Southwest Championship Wrestling]]'''
**[[SCW Southwest Brass Knuckles Championship]] ([[SCW Southwest Brass Knuckles Championship#Title history|1 time]])
*'''[[St. Louis Wrestling Club]]'''
**[[NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship]] ([[NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship#Title history|2 times]])
**[[Hall of Fame|St. Louis Wrestling Hall of Fame (class of 2015)]]
*'''Universal Wrestling Association'''
**UWA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)<ref name="Titles">{{cite book | author=Royal Duncan & Gary Will | title=Wrestling Title Histories | publisher=Archeus Communications | year=2000|edition=4th | isbn=0-9698161-5-4 }}</ref>
*'''[[WWE|World Wrestling Federation]]'''
**[[WWE Intercontinental Championship|WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship]] ([[List of WWE Intercontinental Champions|1 time]])
*'''''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'''''
**[[List of Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Match of the Year|Match of the Year]] Award in 1980&nbsp;– vs. [[Bob Backlund]] {{small|([[Texas death match]], May 19, 1980, New York City, New York)}}
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Most Impressive Wrestler|Most Impressive Wrestler]] (1980)
**[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter awards#Strongest Wrestler|Strongest Wrestler]] (1982)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[[Bruce Wilhelm|Wilhelm, Bruce]], "Ken Patera: Titan of Strength", ''[[Milo magazine|Milo]]'', July 1994.

==External links==
{{Commons category|Ken Patera}}
* {{IMDb name}}
* {{Professional wrestling profiles}}
* {{Olympics.com|kenneth-wayne-patera}}
* {{Olympedia}}

{{AWA World Tag Team Championship}}
{{WWE Intercontinental Championship}}
{{Footer Pan American Champions Weightlifting Super-heavyweight Men}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patera, Ken}}
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