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Thunderbolt Patterson is the latest inductee to be announced for the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame. He will join Paul Heyman, boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Bull Nakano, and The U.S. Express in this year's ceremony.
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The legendary pro wrestler started his career in Georgia, Florida, in 1964 and worked for small territories in the area. He won the NWA Atlantic Coast Tag Team Championship alongside Jerry Brisco and also captured the NWA National and American Tag Team Titles.
Thunderbolt Patterson formed an alliance with big names like Ole Anderson and Tony Atlas in his memorable career.
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In the 1970s, NWA blacklisted Thunderbolt because he made several appearances for independent promotions. Another big reason why the company did so was because of his complaints about racism in pro wrestling as well as his attempts at forming a labor union for pro wrestlers.
The late WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, a big NWA legend, later lifted the ban on Patterson in 1975. The American Dream's character in pro wrestling was highly influenced by Thunderbolt. He was apparently inspired by Patterson's promo delivery style.
Due to the mutual respect between Thunderbolt Patterson and Dusty Rhodes, it would make sense if WWE had 2024 Men's Royal Rumble Match winner Cody Rhodes induct Patterson into the Hall of Fame.
The American Nightmare is the biggest representative of his father Dusty in pro wrestling, so he may be the person the Stamford-based promotion chooses to do the honors for Patterson.
Cody Rhodes called Thunderbolt Patterson one of the influences on Dusty Rhodes
Cody Rhodes will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on Night Two of WrestleMania XL. The American Nightmare will look forward to finishing his story and achieving what no one in his family has ever done: win a world title.
The former AEW star is highly influenced by his father, Dusty Rhodes, and wants to make him proud by finishing his story.
During a 2021 interview with After Hours with Defo and Lubie, Cody named Thunderbolt Patterson as one of the pro wrestlers who influenced his father.
"Dusty was smart enough and had the foresight to see with the advent of cable television and everything going on, he modelled himself after also Thunderbolt Patterson, an African American wrestler and Muhammad Ali, who set the world on fire as the greatest heavyweight there ever was," said Rhodes.
The former TNT Champion continued:
"He looked at two wrestlers in particular, one was Ray Stevens, the other Dick Murdock. Dick Murdock he probably saw in Florida a little bit. Both of them kind of victims of the non-TV era where there's not a lot of footage remaining of their brilliance but Ric Flair will tell you the same thing, Triple H will tell you the same thing, Ray Stevens was the best of the best out in San Francisco."
The 2024 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony will take place at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after SmackDown on Friday, April 5.
