RIP Tugboat Taylor

[Joe Neglia]

Longtime Texas-region worker Tug Taylor has passed. He was on some of the first shows I ever watched on TV (Mid-South) and some of the first ones I attended live (Texas All-Star). Notable for his time in Global, during which he worked with his son, Chazz. Ran a school and local promotion for decades in the Houston area.

slam.canoe.com/Slam/Wrestling/2017/11/08/22763630.html

[slappy]

71 years old. That's very good for a wrestler.

RIP.

[Deleted]

Rip, I too remember seeing him in Global along with his son.

[James Fabiano]

As the resident big GWF fan, this is indeed sad news. GWF called him "the original Tugboat"...never mind Ottman had been Typhoon since around the time the company began. That was one of the best early angles, when he saved Chaz and came out as his father.

[El Pollo Guerrera]

Rest in peace, sir.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

I just realized he also was the shockmaster, sad news.

[Deleted]

Nov 9, 2017 11:59:34 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

I just realized he also was the shockmaster, sad news.

Wrong guy.
That was Typhoon of WWF fame.
This was a worker out of Texas.

[OVO 40 hunched over like he 80]

Nov 9, 2017 12:07:06 GMT -5 @dante said:

Nov 9, 2017 11:59:34 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

I just realized he also was the shockmaster, sad news.

Wrong guy.
That was Typhoon of WWF fame.
This was a worker out of Texas.

Wait so there were two Tugboat Taylors? Fred Ottman apparently also used that name.

[Gecko]

Nov 9, 2017 12:18:41 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Nov 9, 2017 12:07:06 GMT -5 @dante said:

Wrong guy.
That was Typhoon of WWF fame.
This was a worker out of Texas.

Wait so there were two Tugboat Taylors? Fred Ottman apparently also used that name.

Wikipedia has Ottman down as using Tugboat Tyler (no 'a'), but I'm sure there are plenty of examples of more than one wrestler using names that are almost the same.

[Deleted]

i only ever saw him in Global but he seemed like a pretty good dude.

[fuzzywarble, squat cobbler]

Cause of death?

I remember him from Global, and I used to watch his son here in San Antonio when he wrestled for Shawn Michaels' TWA.

[James Fabiano]

Nov 9, 2017 12:35:15 GMT -5 Gecko said:

Nov 9, 2017 12:18:41 GMT -5 OVO 40 hunched over like he 80 said:

Wait so there were two Tugboat Taylors? Fred Ottman apparently also used that name.

Wikipedia has Ottman down as using Tugboat Tyler (no 'a'), but I'm sure there are plenty of examples of more than one wrestler using names that are almost the same.

And now I am wondering if the existence of Tugboat Taylor somehow led the name change from Tugboat Tyler to Tugboat Thomas, then in turn, no last name at all, for Ottman's character.

(for those who were worried, the WWF's Tugboat, also the Shockmaster and Typhoon, seems to be up and about and doing well as always. We met him at a signing last weekend.)

Fun fact: X-Pac was involved in the storyline where Chaz and Tug Taylor reunited, as Lightning Kid was LHW champion and feuding with Chaz, and he had the Davis Brothers (Tom aka Tom Burton, and "Maniac" Mike) as muscle. Tug would come to Chaz's rescue against the heels. Terry Garvin/Simms was the other member of the faces' side, I believe.

[Joe Neglia]

Nov 9, 2017 14:44:44 GMT -5 James Fabiano said:

Nov 9, 2017 12:35:15 GMT -5 Gecko said:

Wikipedia has Ottman down as using Tugboat Tyler (no 'a'), but I'm sure there are plenty of examples of more than one wrestler using names that are almost the same.

And now I am wondering if the existence of Tugboat Taylor somehow led the name change from Tugboat Tyler to Tugboat Thomas, then in turn, no last name at all, for Ottman's character.

Ottman never used the name "Tugboat Tyler" - the Wikipedia source on that is thehistoryofwwe.com, which compiled results from fans; whoever compiled those particular results got it wrong, either misremembering the name or straight-up thinking it was Tug Taylor. Ottman debuted (dark match tryout) as Big Steel Man, then was repackaged as Tugboat Thomas; "Tyler" never happened. Sidenote: The two of them actually worked with one another in Texas All-Star, when Ottman was Big Bubba (no relation to Big Bubba Rogers/Bossman).