Thunderbolt Patterson Named To WWE 2024 Hall Of Fame Class

The latest addition to the 2024 WWE Hall of Fame class has been announced, with Thunderbolt Patterson now set to join this year's inductees.

Patterson was an active wrestler from 1964 to 1994, once holding the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship as well as the NWA National Tag Team Championship alongside Ole Anderson. On top of that, Patterson reportedly made attempts to unionize wrestlers in the 1970s, which he has said caused him to be blackballed from the industry for years.

Throughout his career, Patterson experienced institutional racism in the industry. The performer sued multiple promotions for racial discrimination, which also is alleged to have contributed to his blackballing in the 70s.

In the late 1980s, Patterson became a labor organizer for the Service Employees International Union. Following his wrestling career, he also became a minister and was involved in running a Christian youth camp in Georgia.

The news of Patterson's induction was first revealed by Andscape with WWE confirming. WWE CCO Paul "Triple H" Levesque also offered his comment on the announcement via social media.

"He was a champion in the ring, and championed the health and well-being of his peers outside of it," wrote Levesque. "Thunderbolt Patterson's influence is still felt today, and will receive the recognition it deserves when he joins the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2024."

This year's WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on April 5, 2024, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to Patterson, the inductees announced for the 2024 Hall of Fame class include boxing legend Muhammad Ali, Paul Heyman, Bull Nakano, and the U.S. Express, with several more likely to come.