WWE Hall of Famer JBL has revealed that Vince McMahon‘s decision to use Rio de Janeiro as the location of the fictional tournament that crowned the first Intercontinental Champion was actually a practical joke aimed at Pat Patterson.
The Intercontinental Championship was introduced in 1979, with WWE claiming that Patterson had defeated Johnny Rodz in the final of a tournament held in the Brazilian city.
However, the tournament never took place, and Patterson was instead awarded the championship while he was already reigning as North American Heavyweight Champion.
Speaking on the Something To Wrestle podcast, John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield explained that McMahon had a specific reason for choosing Rio de Janeiro as the tournament’s fictional location.
“In case you didn’t know, the reason that [Vince McMahon] chose Rio De Janeiro is because Pat couldn’t say it,” JBL said.
“That’s a true story. He chose Rio De Janeiro because Pat couldn’t say it, because of his French accent. Yeah, yeah, it was all a rib on Pat.”
According to JBL, McMahon deliberately selected the city because Patterson struggled to pronounce its name, turning the championship’s fictional origins into a joke at his expense.
Pat Patterson’s Lasting WWE Legacy
Pat Patterson became one of the most influential behind-the-scenes figures in WWE history, maintaining a close working relationship with McMahon for decades.
He is widely credited with creating the Royal Rumble match and remained involved with WWE’s developmental system, including NXT and the Performance Center, during his later years.
Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has previously praised Patterson’s contributions to professional wrestling, describing him as one of the industry’s most influential figures and highlighting his work in the San Francisco wrestling territory.
Levesque also suggested Patterson was second only to McMahon in importance to WWE during McMahon’s time running the company.
Patterson died in December 2020 at age 79, leaving behind a legacy that continues through the Royal Rumble and the Intercontinental Championship.
The championship remains one of WWE’s most prestigious titles, with Chad Gable currently holding the belt after defeating Penta at SummerSlam in August 2026.
Gable subsequently retained the championship against Penta’s brother, Rey Fenix, on the October 12 episode of WWE Raw.
