Typhoon confirms Natural Disasters for WWE Hall of Fame 2025

Fred Ottman (aka Typhoon) says he couldn’t believe it when he was told he and John Tenta (aka Earthquake) will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Ottman recently told Bill Apter that Bruce Prichard called to tell him The Natural Disasters would be honored at this year’s ceremony, confirming an earlier report by WrestleVotes. However, WWE has yet to officially announce their induction.

“It is an honor. It was crazy when I got that phone call,” Ottman said. “I couldn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Wow, what an incredible thing.’ Because I always say there are so many guys that are so worthy to be in there that aren’t yet. And for this to happen, it was just amazing.”

He also spoke about why he feels his team with Earthquake was successful.

“I think because we were physically able to do a lot of stuff that smaller guys did, and we worked so good together,” Ottman continued.

“(Earthquake) was literally my brother from another mother,” he added about his partner. “I’d tell him that all the time because we’d cut up and joke and have a good time and John was just so amazing as an athlete. I was proud when they put us together.”

“When we were on the road, it was like—I hate to use this term—a married couple. We’d go to the movies, we’d go shopping together, and all that stuff. And we were hot on TV at that point in time. I remember going with his family and my family to Disney World in Florida when we were there. And that’s when we were hot off TV. These mean heels, you know, and we’re riding the Dumbo ride, and we’re riding the ‘It’s a Small World After All.’”

“It was great. I never had to worry about him, he never had to worry about me. We were always where we were supposed to be. We’d be early, and whatever needed to be done, we did. And that makes for perfect business.”

The 2025 WWE Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for Friday, April 18, 2025, at the BleauLive Theater inside the Fontainebleau hotel in Las Vegas. Triple H, Michelle McCool, and Lex Luger are the only officially announced inductees.

The Natural Disasters formed in the summer of 1991. They turned babyface in early 1992 and won the WWF Tag Team Championships from Money Inc that summer. At the time they were put together, Ottman had been wrestling as Tugboat in the promotion since 1989, while Earthquake had just finished feuds with top babyfaces like Jake Roberts and Hulk Hogan. They both left the company in 1993, with Ottman making a rather memorable debut as The Shockmaster in WCW that August.

After his team with Typhoon ended, Earthquake returned to All Japan, wrestled as The Shark in WCW, and returned to WWF briefly as Golga of The Oddities during the Attitude Era. He passed away due to cancer in 2006 at the age of 42.

Also during the interview, Ottman discussed some of his favorite moments from working with Earthquake and their rivalries with The Road Warriors, Money Inc, and The Bushwhackers.

“I have people still mad at me for turning on the Bushwhackers,” he said.

The full interview is available below: