Well, this one was a bit tough.
Fred Ottman was a perfectly fine fellow, but yeah he didn't have the best luck with gimmicks. He started out as Big Man Steel briefly before he became Tugboat Thomas (dropping the surname) in 1989. He was introduced as Hulk Hogan's friend before he turned while teaming with the Bushwackers against Earthquake and the Nasty Boys in 1991.
The thing is, I can't recall why. Was he disrespected during the match? So, how would I do it?
First thing, I preferred his character Typhoon to Tugboat but still, let's try to make the audience care about a sailor.
First, I'd have Hulk Hogan go on about starting a dojo/looking for students. "Listen Mean Gene, it's time for the Hulkster to give something back!"
So we have Hogan bring out his first student: Tugboat Thomas. "He's got the stuff, dude!" Maybe talk about he saw Tugboat beat the tar out of some longshoremen. Yes, he'd be Popeye.
From there we can see the disgruntle employee emerging. He had some wins, yes, but for the most part he jobbed to Mr. Perfect. Hulk tries to help, maybe having him wear red and yellow or giving him pep talks ringside but it doesn't work.
After he turns, he tears his shirt off like Hogan. Why'd he do it? Because he tired of following a loser!
Yeah, a loser! If Hogan was such a great guy, how come he's a three time champ? He lost it twice, why are you cheering a bum? He came to Hogan, hat in hand, and what did that get him? Not even a new hat! He taught him nothing and gave him nothing to show for it. I mean, he gets a either bigger loser or somehow HE loses against better wrestlers, so clearly Hogan isn't fit to be a teacher!
Maybe a feud with Hogan as the Natural Disasters before keeping them in the tag team scene.
