If you’re concerned about Roman Reigns vs. Triple H headlining this year’s WrestleMania, take a moment and consider how much worse it could be. Having trouble? Here, we’ll help.
Former WWE producer Bruce Prichard was on a recent episode of Ric Flair’s podcast and talked about a lot of things — why the Red Rooster should’ve been great, why Chris Jericho is this generation’s Ric Flair, and other stuff that don’t make sense — and mentions that the main event of WrestleMania VII, Hulk Hogan vs. Benedict Arnold Iraqi sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter, was almost dramatically different. It almost involved Tugboat.
Yes, Tugboat.
“The idea was that we’d have a red-hot heel take the title from Warrior and then Hulk would come in, All American type deal, and face the champion in front of 107,000 people. This super red-hot babyface that was going to be turned to this super, just ungodly, red-hot heel to go to WrestleMania and fill 107,000 seats was Tugboat. Big Fred Ottman who’s a sweetheart of a guy, a great guy, it was Tugboat.”
If you aren’t familiar with The Tuggster — Vince McMahon’s words, not mine — he was Hulk Hogan’s chubby pal who was also either a boat captain or literally an anthropomorphic tugboat, we aren’t sure. Imagine a naval Hillbilly Jim. Seabilly Jim. Tugboat was portrayed by Rhodes family member-by-marriage Fred Ottman, who you may know better as “Typhoon” of the Natural Disasters. If you’re on the internet, you probably know him best as that guy in the sparkly Stormtrooper helmet who botched his big entrance in WCW and became pro wrestling’s #1 all-time joke, The Shockmaster. Yes, folks, The Shockmaster almost main-evented WrestleMania.
Can we give Roman Reigns a trash barge gimmick?
