Fred Ottman

Fred Ottman
Ottman in 2014
Birth name	Fred Alex Ottman
Born	(1956-08-10)August 10, 1956 Miami, Florida,U.S.
Alma mater	Miami Senior High School (Miami, Florida)
Spouse(s)	Sheila Ottman ​ (m.1987)​
Children	3
Family	Dusty Rhodes(brother-in-law) Cody Rhodes(nephew) Dustin Rhodes(nephew)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Big Bubba Big Steel Man The Shockmaster Sigfried Super Shockmaster Uncle Fred Terminator Tugboat Tugboat Thomas Tugboat Tyler Tidal Wave Typhoon
Billed height	6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Billed weight	384 lb (174 kg)
Billed from	Norfolk, Virginia
Trained by	Boris Malenko
Debut	1984
Retired	2009

Fred Alex Ottman(born August 10, 1956) is an American retiredprofessional wrestler.He worked for theWorld Wrestling Federation(later; WWE) from 1989 to 1993 under thering namesTugboatandTyphoon.As the former, he played a keybabyfaceally ofHulk Hogan.As the latter, he turnedheelto formThe Natural DisasterswithEarthquakeand held theWWF Tag Team Championship.

In 1993, Ottman debuted asThe ShockmasterinWorld Championship Wrestlingand immediately fell over, losing his mask on live television while his teammates broke character and laughed. Thisbotchhurt his career, and is now generally regarded as the worst debut in wrestling history, but he was able to capitalize on its notoriety after his in-ring retirement.

Professional wrestling career

Early career (1984–1988)

Ottman was trained byBoris Malenkoand got his start as Sigfried the Giant in February 1985, forChampionship Wrestling from Georgia.He later wrestled forTexas All-Star Wrestlingand theContinental Wrestling Associationas Big Bubba.He wrestled as Big Bubba in 1986 and 1987 in Memphis for Jerry Jarret's CWA wrestling. There he was initially managed by Downtown Bruno.

Championship Wrestling from Florida (1988–1989)

In September 1988, Ottman wrestled on theGordon Solie-hosted TV shows ofChampionship Wrestling from Floridaas a heel called Big Steel Man, managed byDiamond Dallas Page.He feuded withDusty Rhodes,among others. He defeated Rhodes for theNWA Florida Heavyweight Championshipon May 13, 1989.

World Wrestling Federation (1989-1993)

Tugboat (1989–1991)

Ottman made his first appearance in the WWF in June 1989 in a dark match under thering nameBig Steel ManwithSlickas his manager. He wrestled three more dark matches that summer, defeatingPaul RomaandBoris Zukhov,and losing toMr. Perfect.

That September, his name was changed toTugboat Tyler,thenTugboat Thomas,as he portrayed afan favoriteonhouse shows,defeating the likes ofBarry Horowitz,The Brooklyn BrawlerandBoris Zhukov.He debuted on WWF television on the January 27, 1990 episode ofSuperstarsunder the Tugboat Thomas moniker and defeatedIron Mike Sharpe.His ring name was soon after shortened toTugboat.His costume consisted of a red striped shirt, white pants, and a sailor's hat. Part of his gimmick included miming pulling the cord of an airhorn and making a "Toot-toot" noise, like a horn of a ship. On the May 20 episode ofWrestling Challenge,Hulk Hoganmade a promo explaining that he personally trained Tugboat and brought him to the WWF. Following Tugboat's win on that very same show Hogan came out into the ring and raised his arm, showing his full support. Tugboat railed for fans to send encouraging letters to Hogan after Hogan was brutally attacked by Earthquake. Tugboat aided Hulk Hogan in his feud withEarthquakeand "Canada's Strongest Man"Dino Bravo.This coincided with a substantial push that saw Tugboat emerging victorious on television against numerous opponents. He made his pay-per-view debut at that November'sSurvivor Series,where he teamed with Hogan,The Big Boss ManandHacksaw Jim Dugganto face the team of Earthquake, Dino Bravo,HakuandThe Barbarian.Tugboat was eliminated when he and Earthquake fought to a double count-out, and Hogan went on to be the sole survivor.Tugboat was the first true test ofThe Undertaker,who defeated him in numerous matches between December 1990 and March 1991.Tugboat received a shot atMr. Perfect'sIntercontinental Championshipon the May 5, 1991 episode ofWrestling Challenge,but was unsuccessful.

Natural Disasters (1991–1993)

Main article:The Natural Disasters

In May 1991, Ottman teased aheelturnby eliminating Hulk Hogan in abattle royalonNBC'sSaturday Night's Main Event XXIX.Ottman completed the turn on the June 15 episode ofWWF Superstars.Tugboat andThe Bushwhackerswere facingThe Nasty Boysand Earthquake in a six-man tag team match when Tugboat attacked his teammates, allowing Earthquake to hit the Earthquake Splash onBushwhacker Lukeand pin him. On the June 17 episode ofPrime Time Wrestling,Earthquake's manager,Jimmy Hart,reintroduced Ottman asTyphoon,and he and Earthquake became known asThe Natural Disasters.As part of the character change, Ottman began wearing a red, white and black singlet with a tidal wave on the front and "Typhoon" in black letters under it (to match the design on Earthquake's wrestling gear, seismograph lines and "Earthquake" in red letters across the middle).

The Natural Disasters dumped Hart and turned into fan favorites in early 1992 - with Ottman's heel run having lasted less than seven months - feuding with Hart's new top team,Money Inc.( "Million Dollar Man"Ted DiBiaseandIrwin R. Schyster). On April 17 they won theSWS Tag Team ChampionshipdefeatingGeorge TakanoandShunji TakanoinYokohama,Japan when WWF had a partnership withSuper World of Sports.In July the Natural Disasters defeated Money Inc. to win theWWF Tag Team Championship.They lost the title to Money Inc. three months later.After Earthquake took a leave of absence from the WWF early in 1993, Ottman wrestled in singles matches before leaving the company in early summer. He worked house shows againstTerry Taylorin the spring. He also put over a returningBam Bam Bigelowin a series of house shows, and twice on televisedRawshows. He wrestled two televised matches againstYokozuna,losing one by pinfall and winning the other by disqualification. His final match saw him defeatThe Predatorin a house show match inTampaon July 18.

World Championship Wrestling (1993–1994)

The Shockmaster (1993–1994)

After departing from the WWF, Ottman found himself at the center of one of the most infamous moments in wrestling history asThe Shockmaster.He had signed withWorld Championship Wrestling(WCW) and was to make his debut in a match alongside the fan favorite team ofSting,Dustin RhodesandDavey Boy Smithin the upcoming eight-manWarGames matchagainst the heel team composed ofSid Vicious,Big Van Vader,KaneandKoleatFall Brawl.

On "A Flair for the Gold", aninterviewsegment hosted byRic Flair,in front of a live audience atClash of the Champions XXIV,Sting and Smith were confronted by Sid andHarlem Heat,demanding to know the identity of their new partner. Sting exclaimed, "All I have to say is, our partner is going to shock the world, because he is none other than the Shockmaster!" The camera then zoomed in on a section of the set where two torches set off a small pyrotechnics explosion in front of asheetrockwall. With a new costume consisting of aStar WarsStormtrooperhelmet painted purple and covered in silver glitter, a pair of jeans and a large, black, puffy vest, Ottman attempted to make a dramatic entrance by crashing through the wall.

While making his entrance, Ottman tripped over a piece of lumber that was framing the set, causing him to fall forward through the wall with his helmet falling off and sliding across the floor. His face accidentally exposed, he scrambled to put the helmet back on as Vicious, restraining laughter, exclaimed "Oh, God!", while Flair could also be heard saying "Oh no" under his breath. Ottman donned the helmet and got back on his feet, shifting his weight and dusting his hands off in an attempt to shrug off the gaffe while Harlem Heat's Kole asked, "Who is this motherfucker?" and Smith exclaimed "He fell flat on his arse! He fell flat on his fucking arse!". Both of these comments were audible to the live audience and television viewers, but werebleepedin future showings of the footage by WWE. Ottman then began gesturing toward his would-be opponents several seconds before a menacing gravelly off-screen voice (provided byOle Anderson,who could be heard laughing before speaking) started to threaten Sid and Vader. Sid Vicious, remaining in character, reacted in rage to Shockmaster, and the broadcast focused on Vicious for the duration of the voiceover. The announcers said nothing as the segment ended.

Dusty Rhodes later claimed, on an episode ofWWE 24/7's"Legends of Wrestling" show, the piece of lumber previously wasn't there during a successful practice run and it was later put there byDavid Crockettwithout informing Ottman. WWE, on its official website, wrote, "There is a case to be made that The Shockmaster's debut at WCWClash of the Champions XXIVis the greatest of all time – albeit for all the wrong reasons. "The organization has also described the incident as "one of the most unintentionally funny moments in sports entertainment history,"and "a debacle many still consider one of the worst gaffes in the history of sports-entertainment."While Ottman was initially displeased with the turn of events, he now finds humor in the incident.

They put me in a Storm Trooper mask which they painted and covered in glitter, I couldn't see a thing. I got to the wall and put my hands up like a double axe handle and bust through. The top broke perfectly, but the bottom didn't give. The momentum took me through the wall and to the floor.

— Ottman on The Shockmaster's debut

Despite generating no crowd reaction, WCW tried to continue with theangle,repackaging The Shockmaster character as aklutzin a series of pre-recorded promos (featuring Ottman in different attire, without a mask and using his own voice). It was this version of the character that went on to appear as planned in the main event of Fall Brawl, teaming with Sting, Dustin Rhodes and Davey Boy Smith in the War Games match. His ring attire for his match was a plain white shirt, jeans and a white construction worker's helmet, very different to the character in its infamous debut. He entered last into the match and actually gained the victory for his team by forcing Kole to submit to a bear hug.

This version of the character remained reasonably popular with live crowds and continued to appear at the final three pay-per-view events of the year. AtHalloween Havoche teamed up withIce TrainandCharlie Norrisin a six man tag match against Harlem Heat (Kole and Kane) andThe Equalizer.The Shockmaster again scored the victory for his team by pinning Kole. Next atBattlebowlhe took part in the Lethal Lottery tournament and was drawn to team withPaul Orndorffto face the team of bitter rivalsRicky SteamboatandLord Steven Regal.Steamboat and Regal imploded and Shockmaster was able to pick up the win for his team after Steamboat hit Regal. In the Battlebowl Final battle royal Shockmaster was eliminated around the half way point by the Nasty Boys. In the final pay-per-view of the yearStarrcadehe facedAwesome Kong(accompanied byKing Kong). After both attacked the Shockmaster at the start of the match, bizarrely King Kong actually wrestled instead of his partner and the Shockmaster picked up a quick victory over him. He changed his name toThe Super Shockmasterand departed in January 1994. He was also known asUncle Fred.However, he did make a brief appearance on the March 12, 1994 episode ofWCW Saturday Night,when Mean Gene Okerlund visited the set of Hulk Hogan's tv seriesThunder in Paradise.

In 2009,Shawn Michaels,Triple H,and Dusty Rhodes appeared on a segment ofWWE Rawto discuss the DVD release ofThe Rise and Fall of WCWwhen Triple H brought up the subject of the Shockmaster's debut. During that segment, the WWE recreated the Shockmaster's stumbling through the wall, withSantino Marellaportraying the character andArn Andersonproviding the voice. Anderson fled from the camera when the other wrestlers pointed at him.

On February 22, 2016, Ottman returned as The Shockmaster for an episode of theWWE Networkshow,TheEdge and ChristianShow That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness.On the show, The Shockmaster was given the opportunity to redeem the famous debut incident by walking through the show's banner.

World Wrestling Federation (1994)

Ottman returned to the WWF as Typhoon in May 1994, taking the place of his former partner Earthquake in house show matches againstYokozunaafter Earthquake left the WWF. Typhoon made his return to television on the June 25 episode ofSuperstars(taped May 25), defeatingQuebecer Pierre.He then primarily lost matches to Yokozuna on television and at house shows before departing in August.

Late career (1994–2001)

After leaving the WWF in August 1994, Ottman, still using the Typhoon name, began wrestling on the independent circuit in theEast Coast.In December 1995, he went to Japan to compete in a one-night tag team tournament, held byWAR.He teamed up withShinjaand advanced to the semi-finals, before losing toGenichiro TenryuandUltimo Dragon.In March 1996, he wrestled a tour ofMalaysiafor theNational Wrestling Alliancefeuding withKing Kong Bundy.

By the late 1990s, he was wrestling primarily in Florida, where he competed forFOWand WXO. In WXO, he was given agimmickwhere he was too big to get out of his own car. He lost toNWA World Heavyweight ChampionDan Severnon November 7, 1997 in Gainesville, Florida. On May 27, 2000 as Typhoon he defeatedOne Man GangandRon Harrisin a 3 way match for Wrestling In Ashwaubenon independent show in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.

In 2000, he briefly appeared in theiGWpromotion as a manager named Sugar Daddy.

Ottman was one of the participants in the 20-man Gimmick Battle Royal match atWrestleMania X-Sevenas Tugboat, and was eliminated by his former partner, Earthquake.He retired soon thereafter.

Return to wrestling (2009)

On September 5, 2009, Ottman returned to the ring as Tugboat losing to Martin Nolte at DWA 10 years event inUelzen,Germany. He returned to North America on November 21 as Tugboat defeating Jason Static at ECPW in New York City. He once again retired.

Other media

In 1992, he appeared as Typhoon (along with Earthquake) in theSNESversion of the video gameWWF Super WrestleMania.The Disasters were absent from theSegaversion. On February 23, 2016, he appeared asdownloadable contentforWWE 2K16.He appears along with Earthquake inWWE 2K17andWWE 2K18as well. In 2K18, the Shockmaster helmet (slightly modified as to avoid any copyright disputes with the Star Wars license) and the Typhoon singlet are available in the game's attire creation suite, and can be worn by any character in the game.

On a two-part episode of the 1994 TV seriesThunder in Paradise,Ottman played a palace guard named Yussef. He is also parodied in the 2014 RPGLISAas Shocklord.

On a two-part episode of the 1998 TV seriesMortal Kombat: Conquest,Ottman played Z'dak, in the second episode his name was featured solely in the credits though.

Personal life

Ottman retired from wrestling after WXO folded in 2001. In 2007 he lived inLakeland,Florida and worked as a safety manager for Gaffin Industrial Services, a building cleaning service. He also coached thelittle leagueteam of his two sons, Berkley and Beau, and daughter, Bailey.Berkley currently serves as the timekeeper for the WWE. He is the brother-in-law of pro wrestlerDusty Rhodes.He is one of the two uncles ofCody RhodesandDustin Rhodes,the other beingJerry Sags.

Championships and accomplishments

• Continental Wrestling Association
  • AWA International Heavyweight Championship(1 time)
  • AWA Southern Tag Team Championship(2 times) - withJerry Lawler(1 time) and Goliath (1 time)
• Championship Wrestling from Florida
  • NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship(1 time)
• International Wrestling Association
  • IWA United States Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
  • IWW Intercontinental Championship (1 time)
• Super World of Sports
  • SWS Tag Team Championship(1 time) - withEarthquake
• Universal Superstars of America
  • USA Heavyweight Championship (1 time)
• World Wrestling Federation
  • WWF Tag Team Championship(1 time) - with Earthquake
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Worst Gimmick(1993)(as The Shockmaster)

See also

• The Natural Disasters

External links

• TugboatonWWE.com
• Fred Ottman's profile atCagematch.net,Wrestlingdata.com,Internet Wrestling Database
• Fred OttmanatIMDb