10 Pro Wrestlers With Olympic Backgrounds

#9 KEN PATERA

Legendary weightlifting Olympian Ken Patera.

Patera was a member of the United States weightlifting team at the 1972 Summer Olympic Games. He would become the first American to clean and jerk over 500 pounds, which he accomplished at the 1972 Senior Nationals in Detroit.

Ken Patera would go on to have a highly successful professional wrestling career, becoming what would eventually be known as one of AWA's all time greats, not to mention his success in WWF and the NWA territories.

Patera would win the AWA tag titles twice, as well as several NWA championships as well.