10 Things You Didn't Know About Pat Patterson
4. The Reason Why He Refereed The WrestleMania XI Main Event
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.