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Post by tamuthetongantiger on Nov 20, 2005 2:57:27 GMT -5
This has probably been said here many times before but, I remember seeing Tugboat for the first time, billed as "Tugboat Thomas" at a house show and I... well... hated him. That's not to say he wasn't a talented big worker, because he was and I was just a kid and prone to not liking people in striped shirts who would yell "toot, toot!"
But, when he became Typhoon and The Natural Disasters formed, that all changed for me. Suddenly, I liked the old Tugboat. Also, he and Quake were so imposing and dangerous seeming that, I must admit, it's the last tag team that I remember really getting into and debating with friends about how they'd fare against the other great teams out there like Demolition, The Legion of Doom or the (later years) Freebirds.
No point to this except... good stuff, especially in retrospect, since it's hard to get excited about tag teams these days.
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MolotovMocktail
Grimlock
Home of the 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time 5-time Super Bowl Champion 49ers-and Wrestlemania 31
Posts: 13,962
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Nov 20, 2005 3:06:30 GMT -5
I missed Tugboat's heel turn on TV. I just saw him show up as Typhoon one day. Was there any story as to how he transformed from a sailor into a Natural Disaster, or did that just happen overnight?
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Post by tamuthetongantiger on Nov 20, 2005 3:23:01 GMT -5
I don't have great detail here, but I think the heel turn really came after Hogan knocked Tugboat out of the 1991 Royal Rumble. I did some googling, though, and see that there was also a lesser heel turn where Tugboat betrayed the Bushwhackers in a 6 man against Quake and The Nasty Boys before the Rumble.
Tugboat was Hogan's "new best friend" during the Quake/Hogan feud and Tuggy was meant to be in Hogan's corner for the Summerslam match but Quake took him out. Though that happened a year before Tuggy went heel, it's also part of the motivation (something about Hogan not visiting Tugs in the hospital). Anyway, seems no dramatic turn, which is why neither of us remember it, rather a slower transition.
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MolotovMocktail
Grimlock
Home of the 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time 5-time Super Bowl Champion 49ers-and Wrestlemania 31
Posts: 13,962
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Nov 20, 2005 4:22:34 GMT -5
I thought I remembered Tugboat's turn coming against Hogan, but everyone says it really happened in that Bushwackers match (hence explaining why Summerslam had Bushwackers vs. Disasters). The way it seemed to go down: Jimmy Hart and Quake approached Andre, offering him to join up with them to provide "protection" to the Nasty Boys (at the time the tag champs), which Andre turned down. Quake said he got "someone big" to join him, but wouldn't reveal who. In Wackers and Boat vs. Quake and Nastys, Tugboat refused to tag in, then when he finally did, he attacked one of the Bushwackers before tagging him directly back. Quake and Tugboat celebrated as the Nastys scored the pin, then a while later, they jumped Andre and took out his knees.
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Michael Porter
AC Slater
Earthquake John Tenta...R.I.P. My Friend
Posts: 109
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Post by Michael Porter on Nov 20, 2005 13:12:20 GMT -5
Molotov...
John and Fred (Earthquake and Typhoon) were an amazing Big-Man Tag Team, deserving of the straps! In the back BOTH were quiet and gentle giants, and extremely friendly and well-liked, as well as respected by all...from the boys and girls and the management, to the technical crew and the Ring Crew.
By the way...just WHERE did you get this pic? lol
Michael Porter
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MolotovMocktail
Grimlock
Home of the 5-time, 5-time, 5-time, 5-time 5-time Super Bowl Champion 49ers-and Wrestlemania 31
Posts: 13,962
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Post by MolotovMocktail on Nov 21, 2005 4:49:51 GMT -5
I wasn't knocking the Disasters, I was just trying to remember what their history was, and if there was a backstory to how Tugboat became Typhoon, like how Heidenreich became a Road Warrior. They probably would have been my favorite team back then, if I wasn't such a huge Money Inc. mark.
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