Pro-wrestling legend Fred Ottman, better known as Tugboat or Typhoon, was a recent guest on the Wrestling Inc. Daily to talk all things wrestling, including his relationship with the late Road Warrior Animal and the interesting memorabilia he owns. Highlights are below.
On the message he and Road Warrior Animal would share:
“We would send messages. I post a lot of messages on my Facebook page. A lot of wrestling photos and where we worked and wrestling posters. He would comment and say something. We would comment back and forth. He would send me messages because my wife has been in dire health. For the last two months I’ve had issues with my lower legs. He would talk to me online a lot about that stuff.”
Talks hanging out with Jimmy Hart at conventions:
“Between music and promotion, he is there and able to do everything,” Ottman said. “He is the wrestler’s manager, wrestler’s wrestler, whatever you want to call him. Jimmy is just awesome. When I get to see him and have the opportunity, he has a lot of stuff still with Hogan. Just being a part of it and doing these events and the wrestling cons, that’s the best part of this. Seeing guys. We were just talking today about how we are losing guys and just lost Animal. I posted a picture of all four of us [Road Warriors and Natural Disasters] in the ring together. People were like, “Oh my God.” I miss my friends. I’ve been on the phone talking to Animal. I talk to Bobby Fulton. There are a lot of guys. Luke the Bushwacker is a friend of mine. I like to talk to him once a week or every couple of weeks. I feel that way about a lot of guys. These events you also get to meet some of the new and young talent. I’m still a wrestling fan.”
Talks the fun memorabilia he owns:
“I have probably got two to three thousand pieces. At the new house in Tennessee I’m doing a man cave room…I bought this 40-foot trailer because usually when I do events there will be figures that I would sell, autograph figures with virtual shows I do,” he said. “I have posters. I have a poster when all of them were destroyed. Jimmy brought me back a 1992 SummerSlam from Wembley Stadium where we broke Michael Jackson’s record. They were outside selling bootleg posers, which were actually better than Vince’s posters….Jimmy is the collector’s collector. He has sporting goods. Every time he goes to Canada, it’s the uncut sheets of sports cards from the card manufacturer. You would need a semi to transport all that stuff. He actually took two bays of his garage when I was living over there. He had rolls and rolls and rolls of uncut stuff from card manufacturers.”