Accepted

by Pat Patterson

  Find out which wrestler threatened him, learn about the dead wrestler who was really alive, and discover how hanging out with Andy Kaufman led to the comic’s notorious feud with Jerry “The King” Lawler. Still intimately involved in the wrestling business, the award-winning Apter has a story on everybody.

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  Copyright, text and photos, © WWE, 2016

  Published by ECW Press

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  “Goodbye My Friend” written by Karla Bonoff, courtesy of Seagrape Music.

  “My Way”

  English Words by Paul Anka

  Original French Words by Gilles Thibault

  Music by Jacques Revaux and Claude Francois

  Copyright © 1967 Societe Des Nouvelles and Editions Eddie Barclay

  Copyright © 1969 Chrysalis Standards, Inc., Songs Music Publishing, LLC and iWay Holdings SAS

  Copyright Renewed

  All Rights for Chrysalis Standards, Inc. Administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC

  All Rights for iWay Holdings SAS Administered by Songs Music Publishing, LLC

  All Rights Reserved Used by Permission

  Reprinted by Permission of Hal Leonard Corporation

  To the best of his abilities, the author has related experiences, places, people, and organizations from his memories of them. In order to protect the privacy of others, he has, in some instances, changed the names of certain people and details of events and places.

  The statements and opinions expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views of WWE. WWE hereby disclaims any responsibility for such statements and opinions, and they should not be construed as representing WWE’s position on any subject.

  WWE would like to thank GLAAD for its support and valued feedback in the development of Accepted.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Patterson, Pat, 1941–, author

  Accepted : how the first gay superstar changed WWE / Pat Patterson with Bertrand Hébert ; foreword by Vincent K. McMahon.

  Issued in print and electronic formats.

  ISBN 978-1-77041-293-4 (hardback);

  ISBN 978-1-77090-863-5 (PDF);

  ISBN 978-1-77090-864-2 (ePub)

  ISBN 978-1-77041-377-1 (signed edition)

  1. Patterson, Pat, 1941–. 2. Wrestlers­—Canada—Biography. 3. Gay athletes—Canada—Biography. 4. Wrestling—United States. 5. World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. I. Hébert, Bertrand, 1971–, author II. Title.

  GV1196.P38A3 2016 796.812092 C2016-902329-X C2016-902330-3

  Editor for the press: Michael Holmes

  Cover image: Bob Cartago

  Interior images: Unless otherwise stated, photos are from the author’s personal collection or WWE’s archives.