FRED OTTMAN The Official Website!
BIOGRAPHY PART 7
BACK WITH WWE + INDIES
Before I tell you about my return to the WWE, let me tell why I had left in the first place.
What happened was that I left mid-deal with Quake. Something happened with my family where I had to leave the WWE – I didn't want to, but I had to. I felt horrible about leaving my partner, you know? But actually, my brother-in-law and I were opening two businesses in Key West, Florida. Right before we were to open the doors, my other brother-in-law got shot and killed at a convenience store in Tampa, Florida. So I had to go to Vince... I gave him my notice. I worked the next two to three weeks. I wanted to finish up in the right frame of mind and Quake understood that.
But when I did come back in 1994, it was to take Quake's place because he was in the middle of an angle with Yokozuna. They had sumo-style matches. I came back and I finished up his angle. I was well respected and I came back as Typhoon. I did all the dates that Quake was supposed to do. But then I found out years later from Georgie “The Animal” Steel that they actually wanted me to come back. They had a gimmick for me. I said: “Well, it would’ve been nice if somebody had talked to me about that…” because I went back home after the program with Yokozuna and I took over the business down in Key West. I was there putting in 16-hour days at that business because I had a lot of money invested in it.
You know, something…? I was thinking outside the box… to have a business that would take me out of the business when I was done. I was on the road so many days a year, at least 300... Wrestling is hard on a lot of families. But the love of the business, not just the money, but the real love of the business was in my heart from a young age.
So I wound up doing that. I also worked for and helped with other independent wrestling companies and worked overseas a bunch. In the meantime, I had myself a good crew working for me. I had an ex-referee from WWE and WCW, I had Sir Oliver Humperdink also. We had a house down there. He came down and was working for me and for my sister-in-law at her bar; once again, the rest is history.
I did one last in-ring appearance for the WWE at WrestleMania X-Seven. We were in Houston, Texas at the Astrodome for the Gimmick Battle Royal, the one that Sheiky Baby (Iron Sheik) won! And I was there with Quake. I came out as Tugboat and with many great members of the WWE Alumni.
Everyone made their entrance. The bell ringed, the battle started. I grabbed The Gobbledy Gooker (Héctor Guerrero) We were going back and forth with everybody. Then I grabbed Hector and I put him over the ropes. As I’m doing that, my buddy Quake grabbed my legs and put me over the ropes! It was goofy, it was entertaining and fun for everyone involved.That was my last in-ring appearance for a national wrestling company.