WWE's First 10 Intercontinental Champions: Where Are They Now?

9. Ken Patera

Ken Patera
WWE.com/Pro Wrestling Illustrated

Pat Patterson is still very much part of WWE's inner circle, but the 2nd Intercontinental Champion doesn't have a great relationship with the company these days. Former Olympic weightlifter and strongman Ken Patera captured the IC Title from Patterson during a New York house show on 21 April 1980. It was his first and only WWE title win.

Patera's credibility as an athlete didn't translate smoothly into pro wrestling. As the then-WWF raced towards the era of Hulkamania (and all the glitz and glamour that came with it), the stoic Patera was left behind. It's no wonder he didn't go onto bigger and better things after that Intercontinental Title reign.

In 2016, Patera was part of a lawsuit filed against WWE alleging that the promotion worked to conceal the risk of injuries to talent throughout the 1980s. Other than that, he's all but been out of wrestling since the mid-90s, though he did make a comeback to wrestle Bob Backlund on an independent show in 2011.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.