Fred "Tugboat" Ottman On The Shockmaster Incident And Still Owning The Helmet, WWE's Current Product
Fred Ottman (also known as Tugboat and The Shockmaster) spoke with Memorabilia Guy on a number of wrestling topics. Here are some of the highlights:
WWE's current product:
"I love the program and there is a lot of great talent there but when I wrestled, Vince [McMahon] used to surround himself with a bunch of wrestlers to meet and discuss angles. It wasn't solely up to writers who have never wrestled. I think that has a bit to do with it. They also have so much on their plate that they are pushing for the numbers and it's a PLC now. They have stockholders they have to answer to and it pushes them. You can be a great screenwriter in TV or movies but if you have never laced a pair of boots you really don't get the big picture. They also don't give things enough time to be appreciated by the fans."
The Shockmaster incident:
"Well the whole idea was to conceal my identity and it was done at a live event, it wasn't taped. So I had to bust this wall that wasn't gimmicked, it was 2×4's every 12 inches and because of the height of the wall they added extra materials. About an inch or two below my knee was a big piece of material. Mike Graham was the guy who was going to give me the cue as there was no way to mic the helmet. Ole Anderson did the voice-over and he said -Fred you're going to have to hit this thing pretty hard. I had two little pin holes and then they took a girls pantyhose off because the glitter was coming through the eyeholes. So I double-axehandled the wall and the momentum of hitting it so hard made me a teeter-totter. So I flip over and the helmet popped off like a champagne cork. The rest is wrestling history. So I jump up put the helmet back on my head to cover my face, remember it's live and I am supposed to be the mystery partner. It was so funny. It was a hell of a way to make a debut."
Still owning The Shockmaster helmet:
"I love the Shockmaster and I still own the helmet. I take it with me everywhere and I will bring it to Swindon Comic Con when I come to England in June. It is like the holy grail, it has such a cult following. You tell people it's the original and they can't believe it. So many fans want a picture with the helmet."
Fred Ottman also discussed when he first came to WWE and the current promotion he's running. You can read the full interview by clicking here.
Source: Memorabilia Guy