The sky didn’t fall, but there wasn’t a dry eye in the house as Fred “Typhoon” Ottman and the family of the late John “Earthquake” Tenta took the stage to accept the WWE Hall of Fame induction for The Natural Disasters—a thunderous tag team that made the ground (and the crowd) shake in the early ‘90s.
Unlike other inductees, the Natural Disasters were not introduced by a fellow superstar—their story was allowed to speak for itself. And what followed was part tribute, part time capsule, and all heart.
John Tenta Jr. kicked things off, sharing memories that painted his father not just as a monster heel who crushed opponents like tin cans, but as a “gentle giant” who loved his family, wrestling, and—yes—being the bad guy, because heels have more fun.
Then came Joanna Tenta, whose speech might’ve caused Earthquake-level feels across the stadium. She shared her intent to follow in her father’s footsteps and begin training as a professional wrestler, honoring not just the name, but the legacy of a man who never needed pyro to be larger than life. She smiled through emotion, thanking fans and specifically “Uncle Fred” Ottman—who, true to his name, stood strong and supportive at her side.
When Ottman took the mic, it felt like a tag-team comeback. He shared road stories, laughter, and the heartbreak of losing a friend who meant more to him than any title belt. He spoke about how Tenta’s cancer went into remission, then devastatingly came back—and with all the rawness of a friend still grieving, Ottman said simply, “I miss him. This one’s for him.”
And just like that, the Natural Disasters didn’t just shake the world—they shook its heartstrings.