‘Gallbladder Exploded’: WWE Hall of Famer’s Serious Hospitalization Revealed

A WWE Hall of Famer is dealing with a frightening medical crisis.

Fred Ottman, a WWE Legend who performed as “Typhoon” and “Tugboat,” has been in the hospital for a month. The 69-year-old professional wrestler said his “gallbladder exploded,” igniting a litany of health issues. He’s also lost muscle mass and is struggling to walk as a result of his hospitalization.

WWE inducted Ottman into its hall of fame in 2025 as one-half of The Natural Disasters, his successful tag team act with Earthquake (John Tenta).

“Unfortunately, my gallbladder exploded inside of me and it released a bunch of poison into my body,” Ottman said, per a Fox News transcription. “So, I’ve been on my back for 30 days. The doctors have been amazing – my surgeons and that stuff. I had a major infection along with some of the stuff I’ve been dealing with. As far as infection goes, if I would’ve waited one more day, the doctors told my wife that I probably wouldn’t be here with you or be able to talk to you guys. God bless.

“But I’m here, I lost a lot of muscle mass. I’ve lost a lot of different things. It’s been a brutal fight. I’ve been learning how to walk again. It’s been a fight, it’s been a fight.”

Ottman would go on to share another update on Sunday, saying that he’s treating this process as a “one step at a time situation,” quite literally as he’s “learning to walk again” in light of the lost muscle mass. He is slated to undergo surgery on Feb. 23.

In addition to performing as Typhoon and Hulk-Hogan-ally Tugboat, Ottman is also known as Big Steel Man and, in WCW, the infamous Shockmaster. He is the brother-in-law of the late Dusty Rhodes, meaning he is the uncle of WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes and AEW wrestler Dustin Rhodes (f.k.a. WWE’s Goldust).

Best wishes to the Typhoon himself, Fred Ottman!