Few wrestling books have been more anticipated than the autobiography that Pat Patterson is doing with Bertrand Hébert (co-author of Mad Dogs, Midgets, and Screw Jobs, a history of Montreal wrestling). Patterson is a wrestling genius with a career going back to the late ’50s and his personal journey starting as a gay teenager who came to the United States unable to speak English is a fascinating one. Today, ECW Press (the Canadian publisher that has done much to advance the cause of wrestling books and is now working with WWE) officially announced the release of the book, and it’s available for pre-order at Amazon.
Here are the quick and dirty details:
Title: Accepted: How the First Gay Superstar Changed WWE
Release Date: August 9, 2016
Length: 320 pages
Formats: Hardcover and ebooks.
And here’s the cover art:
For the full release from ECW Press, read on:
A trailblazing wrestling legend shares his story of living life on his own terms
When Pat Patterson was 17 years old, he was thrown out of his house after telling his parents he was in love . . . with a man. Crossing into the United States from Montreal 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.
One of the most unlikely stories of a revolutionary talent, pioneer, and creative savant, Patterson recalls the trials and tribulations as he climbed to the upper ranks of sports-entertainment — as a performer and, later, as a backstage dignitary — in this fascinating and revealing memoir. After making his mark in the ring as the prestigious first holder of WWE’s Intercontinental Championship, Pat set out to conquer the WWE world behind the curtain. He became the lead creative force behind the Royal Rumble match and countless innovations that have shaped the way the WWE Universe has enjoyed sports-entertainment for generations.Many WWE fans know Pat Patterson as a ring legend, 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, his impact and importance to the nascent stages of WWE nearly comparable to the Chairman himself. Still active in WWE today, Pat delivers his no-holds barred story from unknown to WWE luminary.
