10 Things You Didn't Know About Pat Patterson

4. The Reason Why He Refereed The WrestleMania XI Main Event

Lawrence Taylor
WWE Network

When WrestleMania XI rolled round in 1995, it had been several years since Pat Patterson had refereed a match of any note. So, then, why was Pat given the nod to oversee the main event of that year's Showcase of the Immortals?

The answer to that is simply due to how Patterson was the perfect choice to guide Lawrence Taylor through that contest.

LT forever gets plentiful praise for the performance he put on at WrestleMania XI, and likewise Bam Bam Bigelow is credited with getting a great match out of Taylor, but Pat Patterson was the other vital cog in this particular wheel.

Alongside Bigelow, Pat was there to tell Taylor what to do, when to do it, and how to do it. And the result is something rather spectacular when you consider that NFL favourite LT had no prior wrestling experience. It was huge of WWE to trust Bam Bam in this high profile spot, and it was a huge indicator of the respect and admiration that Vince McMahon had for Pat Patterson that he trusted Pat to oversee this match and see that it went off smoothly.

Like WrestleMania I, WrestleMania XI shows why Patterson was so valued by McMahon.

Senior Writer
Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.