Thunderbolt Patterson Class Of 2024
Overview · Gallery
Ring names
K.O. Patterson Sweet Daddy Brown Thunderbolt Patterson T-Bolt
Claude Patterson (born 1941) is an American retired professional wrestler , better known by his ring name Thunderbolt Patterson . He began his career in 1965 and wrestled primarily in Florida , Georgia and the Carolinas.
Professional wrestling career [ ]
Training and early career [ ]
Patterson had grown up in Iowa and worked for John Deere in Waterloo, Iowa when he broke into professional wrestling in the Kansas City area. Promoter Gus Karras put Patterson in matches against Don Soto in 1964. In 1965, Patterson moved to Texas and worked with promoter Dory Funk Sr. The following year, he traveled to California, where he held the WWA Tag Team Championship with Alberto Torres. He also continued to work in Texas, where he worked as a heel in the racist South.
In 1969, he worked for Big Time Wrestling in Michigan and Ohio.
In 1970, he feuded with Jose Lothario and held the Florida version of the NWA Brass Knuckles Championship .
Patterson agreed to work for the All-South Wrestling Alliance, an outlaw promotion (that is, one outside of the NWA) run by Ann Gunkel, the widow of his old friend and Georgia promoter Ray Gunkel , in the 1970s. He also spoke out against poor working conditions for wrestlers and sued for racial discrimination, and as a result, he was blacklisted from wrestling. He had been complaining about racism from promoters for many years (he would later recall that only Dory Funk Sr. had backed him) and wanted to start a wrestlers' union, a dream he shared with Jim Wilson a former NFL player and wrestler, himself blacklisted. It would be years, with Patterson working at the Los Angeles Times in the interim, before he would get another shot, when Dusty Rhodes took ill in Florida.
In 1976, he won the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship from Bruiser Brody . In 1977 He scored a surprise pinfall win over The Sheik in Toronto for the U.S. title but lost three weeks later.
Patterson joined Ole Anderson as a tag team partner in the early 1980s and they briefly held the NWA National Tag Team Championship . Ole's "relative", a young Arn Anderson , came to the sport, and Ole, saying he was "tired of carrying guys like Patterson and Dusty Rhodes" broke up with Patterson, and joined Arn in what would be the foundation for the Four Horsemen which would include NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair and Tully Blanchard .
Patterson retired from the sport in 1994 (his last match was at Slamboree '93 , where he teamed with Brad Armstrong to defeat Ivan Koloff and Baron Von Raschke ).
Personal life [ ]
In 1988, he was a labor organizer for Service Employees International Union in Atlanta.
After retiring from professional wrestling, he began running a Christian camp for children. Patterson is also an ordained minister.
Championships and accomplishments [ ]
CWA World Heavyweight Championship (1 time )
ICW United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time )
NWA United States Heavyweight Championship (Toronto version) (1 time )
NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Tri-State version) (1 time )
NWA Western States Sports
NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version) (4 times )
External links [ ]
WWE Hall of Fame
1993
André the Giant
1994
Arnold Skaaland • Bobo Brazil • Buddy Rogers • Chief Jay Strongbow • Freddie Blassie • Gorilla Monsoon • James Dudley
1995
Antonino Rocca • Ernie Ladd • George Steele • Ivan Putski • The Fabulous Moolah • The Grand Wizard • Pedro Morales
1996
Lou Albano • Jimmy Snuka • Jimmy Valiant • Johnny Rodz • Johnny Valiant • Killer Kowalski • Mikel Scicluna • Pat Patterson • Vince McMahon, Sr.
2004
Big John Studd • Bobby Heenan • Don Muraco • Greg Valentine • Harley Race • Jesse Ventura • Junkyard Dog • Pete Rose • Sgt. Slaughter • Superstar Billy Graham • Tito Santana
2005
Bob Orton, Jr. • Hulk Hogan • Jimmy Hart • Nikolai Volkoff • Paul Orndorff • Roddy Piper • The Iron Sheik
2006
Bret Hart • Blackjack Mulligan • Eddie Guerrero • Gene Okerlund • Jack Lanza • Sherri Martel • Tony Atlas • Verne Gagne • William Perry
2007
Afa • Curt Hennig • Dusty Rhodes • Jerry Lawler • Jim Ross • Mr. Fuji • Nick Bockwinkel • Sika • The Sheik
2008
Eddie Graham • Gerald Brisco • Gordon Solie • Jack Brisco • Mae Young • Peter Maivia • Ric Flair • Rocky Johnson
2009
Bill Watts • Chris Von Erich • David Von Erich • Dory Funk Jr. • Fritz Von Erich • Howard Finkel • Kerry Von Erich • Kevin Von Erich • Koko B. Ware • Mike Von Erich • Ricky Steamboat • Steve Austin • Terry Funk
2010
Antonio Inoki • Bob Uecker • Gorgeous George • Maurice Vachon • Stu Hart • Ted DiBiase • Wendi Richter
2011
Abdullah the Butcher • Bob Armstrong • Drew Carey • Jim Duggan • Legion of Doom • Paul Ellering • Shawn Michaels • Sunny
2012
Edge • Four Horsemen • Mike Tyson • Mil Máscaras • Ron Simmons • Yokozuna
2013
Bob Backlund • Booker T • Bruno Sammartino • Donald Trump • Mick Foley • Trish Stratus
2014
Carlos Colon • Jake Roberts • Lita • Mr. T • Paul Bearer • Scott Hall • Ultimate Warrior
2015
Arnold Schwarzenegger • Connor Michalek • Alundra Blayze • Kevin Nash • Larry Zbyszko • Randy Savage • Rikishi • Tatsumi Fujinami • The Bushwhackers
2016
Art Thomas • Big Bossman • Buddy Roberts • The Godfather • Ed Lewis • Frank Gotch • George Hackenschmidt • Jacqueline • Jimmy Garvin • Joan Lunden • Lou Thesz • Michael P.S. Hayes • Mildred Burke • Pat O'Connor • Snoop Dogg • Stan Hansen • Sting • Terry Gordy
2017
Bearcat Wright • Beth Phoenix • Diamond Dallas Page • Dr. Jerry Graham • Eric LeGrand • Haystacks Calhoun • Judy Grable • June Byers • Kurt Angle • Luther Lindsay • Martin Burns • Rick Rude • Ricky Morton • Rikidozan • Robert Gibson • Theodore Long • Toots Mondt
2018
Alfred Hayes • Boris Malenko • Cora Combs • Dara Singh • Dudley Boyz • El Santo • Goldberg • Hillbilly Jim • Hiro Matsuda • Ivory • Jarrius "JJ" Robertson • Jeff Jarrett • Jim Londos • Kid Rock • Mark Henry • Rufus R. Jones • Sputnik Monroe • Stan Stasiak
2019
Bruiser Brody • Brutus Beefcake • Buddy Rose • D-Generation X • (Shawn Michaels , Triple H , Chyna , Road Dogg , Billy Gunn , X-Pac ) • Harlem Heat (Booker T , Stevie Ray ) • The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart , Jim Neidhart ) • Hisashi Shinma • The Honky Tonk Man • Jim Barnett • Joseph Cohen • Luna Vachon • Primo Carnera • Professor Toru Tanaka • S.D. Jones • Sue Aitchison • Torrie Wilson • Wahoo McDaniel
2020
Baron Michele Leone • The Bella Twins (Nikki Bella , Brie Bella ) • Brickhouse Brown • The British Bulldog • Gary Hart • John "Bradshaw" Layfield • Jushin "Thunder" Liger • New World Order ("Hollywood" Hulk Hogan , Kevin Nash , Scott Hall , Sean Waltman ) • Ray Stevens • Steve Williams • Titus O'Neil • William Shatner
2021
Buzz Sawyer • Dick the Bruiser • Eric Bischoff • Ethel Johnson • The Great Khali • Kane • Molly Holly • Ozzy Osbourne • Paul Boesch • Pez Whatley • Rich Hering • Rob Van Dam
2022
The Undertaker • Steiner Brothers (Rick Steiner , Scott Steiner ) • Big Van Vader • Queen Sharmell
2023
Rey Mysterio • The Great Muta • Andy Kaufman • Stacy Keibler • Tim White
2024
Paul Heyman • Bull Nakano • U.S. Express (Barry Windham , Mike Rotunda ) • Muhammad Ali • Thunderbolt Patterson • Lia Maivia
2025
Triple H • Michelle McCool • Lex Luger • The Natural Disasters (Earthquake , Typhoon ) • Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania 13)