Tag: Tugboat

WWE Hall of Famer Typhoon gives update after ‘pretty tough’ surgery

Posted on by Joseph Currier

WWE Hall of Famer Typhoon (Fred Ottman) is ready to start the recovery process after undergoing surgery.

Earlier this month, Ottman revealed that he had been hospitalized for approximately 30 days after his gallbladder “exploded” and released poison into his body. He was discharged on February 9 and was awaiting surgery, which Ottman has now undergone. It was a “pretty tough” operation, but Ottman is home and looking forward to getting better.

“They released me from the hospital yesterday. They kept me in the hospital for an extra couple days for observation because the surgery was pretty tough,” Ottman said. “But I’m home with my beautiful wife Sheila. And I got home health care coming in and checking on me today. And then will become the road to recovery, which ought to take a while I believe.

“But I just wanted to keep you guys in the loop, and thanks for all the prayers and all the thoughts and everything and the cards and letters that have been sent to me. God bless you, each and everyone. I really appreciate the support. You know, you’re my extended family. So I just wanted to keep you in here. All right, I love you and I won’t bother you anymore. Have a great day.”

During his hospitalization, Ottman lost a lot of muscle mass that he’s working to get back. He’s also needed to get used to walking again.

Ottman played the characters Typhoon, Tugboat, The Shockmaster, and Big Steel Man during his wrestling career. He and his Natural Disasters tag team partner Earthquake (the late John Tenta) were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2025.

Natural Disasters confirmed for 2025 WWE Hall of Fame class

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While their induction was already all but confirmed, The Natural Disasters are now officially part of the 2025 WWE Hall of Fame class.

WWE announced today that Earthquake (John Tenta) & Typhoon (Fred Ottman) will be inducted into the company’s Hall of Fame next month during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas. They join Paul “Triple H” Levesque, Michelle McCool, and Lex Luger in the class.

Tenta, who died of cancer at 42 years old in 2006, is being inducted posthumously. Earlier this month, Ottman spoke to Sportskeeda WrestleBinge about their impending induction and the friendship they shared together.

“He was literally my brother from another mother. I’d tell him that all the time because we’d cut up and joke and have a good time and John was just so amazing as an athlete. I was proud when they put us together,” Ottman said. “It was great. I never had to worry about him, he never had to worry about me. We were always where we were supposed to be. We’d be early, and whatever needed to be done, we did. And that makes for perfect business.”

The two were one-time WWF Tag Team Champions together in the early 1990s. Levesque praised them as two unsung heroes of that generation’s tag team division:

Ottman is being inducted as Typhoon but is perhaps best remembered for playing the character Tugboat during his WWF run.

Tenta was a sumo wrestler before starting his pro wrestling career in Japan. Among his career highlights as a singles competitor was a memorable feud with Hulk Hogan in the WWF.

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is taking place on Friday, April 18 at the BleauLive Theater at the Fontainebleau hotel in Vegas. Kamala is also rumored to be part of this year’s class, though his induction has not been made official.

Report: Natural Disasters to be inducted into WWE Hall of Fame

Posted on by Josh Nason

Notable 1990s tag team The Natural Disasters will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, according to WrestleVotes.

Made up of the late Earthquake (John Tenta) and the 68-year-old Typhoon (Fred Ottman/Tugboat), the two held the then-WWF World Tag Team titles in 1992, winning them from Money Inc.’s Ted DiBiase & IRS, defending them against the Beverly Brothers once, and then losing them back to Money Inc. three months later.

The two teamed for roughly 19 months from May 1991 through December 1992. Following their split, Earthquake went back to singles action and eventually became Golga in The Oddities before departing in the spring of 2001. Typhoon also went back to singles competition until his WWE run ended in August 1994. He retired in 2009.

Once confirmed, they will join Paul “Triple H” Levesque and Michelle McCool as the inductees announced thus far.

The ceremony will take place during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas, Nevada.