Ken Patera Reportedly Suffers Broken Neck After Gym Fall

Pro wrestling legend and former Olympian Ken Patera is reportedly recovering after a fall at the gym that resulted in a broken C1 vertebra. The update was shared in a Facebook group by a friend and reposted by Steve Stasiak of Book Pro Wrestlers, noting Patera — now in his 80s — had undergone back surgery 2.5 years ago and had been making progress, returning to the gym and losing significant weight; the post asked for thoughts and prayers. There is no further information on when the fall occurred or his current condition.

A prominent star in the AWA, WWF and Japan, Patera was the second-ever WWF Intercontinental Champion and competed in the main event of the inaugural Survivor Series as part of a babyface team with Hulk Hogan, Bam Bam Bigelow, Paul Orndorff and Don Muraco. Before his wrestling career he represented the United States in weightlifting at the 1972 Olympics and was an accomplished strongman competitor.

Originally reported by Wrestling Observer: https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/wwe-legend-ken-patera-suffers-broken-neck/.