10 Greatest Strongmen In Wrestling History

9. Ken Patera

Before there was Mark Henry, Chad Gable or Kurt Angle, there was Ken Patera, the original pro wrestling Olympian.

Despite winning a gold medal at the 1971 Pan-American Games, Patera never won any Olympic medals. He excelled at one event -- the clean and press -- and often had a hard time competing with more rounded lifters who could out-total him.

After the clean and press was eliminated from competition, Patera retired from lifting to try his hand at wrestling, becoming a member of the Heenan Family and an early Intercontinental champion.