Photo: Panini / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Ken Patera is one of those rare athletes who actually did it all — and did it at a legitimately elite level before pro wrestling even entered the picture. This guy represented the U.S. in Olympic weightlifting at the 1972 Munich Games and was once considered among the strongest men on the planet, which made his WWF heel run feel genuinely menacing rather than just theatrically so. When he stepped into the WWF in the late '70s and early '80s, that amateur credibility gave his character real weight — pun intended. He's part of a fascinating old-school lineage of legit strongmen who crossed over into professional wrestling when the two worlds overlapped more naturally, and for that alone he deserves a nod from anyone who appreciates the sport's athletic roots.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ken Patera
- Name (Japanese)
- ケン・パテラ
- Reading
- けん・ぱてら
- Born
- November 6, 1942 (age 83)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Scorpio / Horse
- Origin
- Portland, Oregon, United States
- Height
- 187 cm
- Occupation
- weightlifter / professional wrestler / strongman / athletics competitor
2. Background
- High school
- Cleveland High School
- University
- Brigham Young University
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Ken Patera born?
Born November 6, 1942 (age 83).
Where is Ken Patera from?
Ken Patera is from Portland, Oregon, United States.
What does Ken Patera do?
Ken Patera works as weightlifter, professional wrestler, strongman, athletics competitor.
How tall is Ken Patera?
Ken Patera is 187 cm.
Professional wrestler — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.