Fred Ottman is back in the hospital months after a serious health scare nearly cost him his life. The WWE Hall of Famer revealed that he was taken to the emergency room before doctors decided to admit him, forcing him to pull out of an upcoming appearance.
Ottman shared a photo from his hospital bed on Instagram and wanted fans to hear what happened directly from him. He didn’t reveal what caused the latest emergency, saying he is still waiting to find out more from his doctors.
“Unfortunately, everybody, due to things beyond my control, I was put into the hospital here, and this evening I got admitted after I was taken to the emergency room.”
Whatever is going on is serious enough to keep Ottman from making a previously scheduled appearance. He apologized to the fans who were expecting him and said he plans to speak with the promoters once he has a better idea of what doctors are dealing with.
“But I will not be able to be there, guys. I want to apologize, and I’ll get together with the promoters that was bringing me in after I see what’s going on here with the doctors. But I love you all. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, and hopefully I’ll be seeing you soon. Bye.”
The hospitalization is particularly concerning because of what Ottman went through earlier this year. He spent weeks dealing with complications from a ruptured gallbladder that caused a severe infection and required multiple procedures.
By February 25, Ottman had finally made it back home to Florida with his wife Sheila. Even then, he said doctors had kept him hospitalized for additional observation because his latest surgery had been particularly difficult.
“They released me from the hospital yesterday. They kept me in the hospital for extra couple of days for observation because the surgery was pretty tough.”
More than six months later, Ottman has unfortunately found himself in a hospital bed again. He hasn’t said whether this latest emergency is connected to his previous health problems, so for now the reason behind his hospitalization remains unclear.
The good news is that Ottman was able to personally update everyone after being admitted. For the moment, though, his scheduled appearance is off and the wrestling legend is waiting alongside everyone else to hear what his doctors have to say.
We’re wishing Fred Ottman the best as he deals with this latest health setback. What is your favorite memory from his career as Tugboat, Typhoon or The Shockmaster? Let us know in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.