Natural Disasters The Natural Disasters were a tag team composed of Earthquake ( John Tenta ) and Typhoon ( Fred Ottman ) who competed in the World Wrestling Federation as a team between 1991 and 1993 . The Formation . In the summer of 1991 , Earthquake had just finished a feud with Jake “ The Snake ” Roberts when he seemingly reignited a feud from 1990 with the massive Tugboat , a fan favorite and close friend of Hulk Hogan . In a televised 6 man tag - team match where Earthquake teamed with the Nasty Boys and Tugboat teamed with The Bushwhackers Tugboat turned on his partners after a few minutes of action and joined the Earthquake in laying the two New Zealanders out cold with a big splash . After the heel turn Tugboat changed his name to Typhoon and together they became known as “ The Natural Disasters ” one of the heaviest tag - teams in the world . The first order of business was the Bushwhackers , whom they made very short work of at the 1991 SummerSlam PPV . After destroying the Bushwhackers the Disasters targeted André the Giant who was at ringside on crutches due to an injury . The assault was stopped by the Legion of Doom who ran off the Natural Disasters and kicked off the Legion of Doom / Natural Disasters feud . Later in the night the Legion of Doom would go on to win the WWF World Tag - Team titles from the Nasty Boys , which meant that the Natural Disasters became first in line to get a shot at the new champions . The first big profile meeting between the two teams came at the 1991 Survivor Series where they were on opposing sides in an elimination match . Typhoon was eliminated due to a miscommunication with team member Irwin R . Schyster followed by Earthquake walking out with him , leaving the Legion of Doom as the eventual winners the Disasters challenged for the tag - team titles on the house show circuit but usually without a decisive outcome . At the 1992 Royal Rumble the Disasters got their biggest opportunity so far as they received a shot at the titles . The Disasters won the match via count out but not the titles . The Turn . In February Natural Disasters ' manager Jimmy Hart led Money Inc . ( Ted DiBiase & Irwin R . Schyster ) to the WWF tag - team titles as they defeated the Legion of Doom after which the L . O . D . briefly left the WWF . The Natural Disasters were outraged that their manager would go behind their backs and get another team a shot at the title , the storyline explanation was that Jimmy Hart used the Disasters ' guaranteed return match for Money Inc . When the Natural Disasters challenged Money Inc . they won the fan support as they fired manager Jimmy Hart . The Disasters would first get their hands on Money Inc . at WrestleMania VIII where once again the Natural Disasters would win the match but not the titles as the champions were counted out . The Disasters did not let the setback stop them as they challenged for the titles repeatedly until they won them on July 20 , 1992 . After losing the titles Money Inc . had to focus on the challenges by the Legion of Doom , which gave the Natural Disasters the opportunity to defend their newly won titles against new competition . That competition came in the form of The Beverly Brothers ( managed by The Genius ) , whom they defeated at SummerSlam 1992 , the Disasters ' first PPV pinfall in a year . Afterwards , the Disasters faced challenges by both the Nasty Boys and Money Inc . , both managed by Jimmy Hart . In a series of events that mirrored how the Natural Disasters turned face the Nasty Boys turned on Jimmy Hart when Hart favored Money Inc . when signing title matches . The Nasty Boys turned on Hart , while Money Inc . regained the tag - team titles from the Natural Disasters in October 1992 . With the Nasty Boys also in the hunt for the tag - team gold the Natural Disasters were slowly phased out of the tag - team division with their last PPV outing as a team came at the 1992 Survivor Series PPV where they were eliminated by Money Inc . In 1993 Earthquake and Typhoon began showing signs of dissention , most noticeably at the 1993 Royal Rumble Typhoon was already in the ring when Earthquake entered as # 23 and he immediately went after his tag - team partner , focusing only on him until Typhoon was eliminated . The Disasters ’ feud never came to fruition as Earthquake left the WWF very early in 1993 . After the break up . Typhoon briefly stayed with the WWF after Earthquake left but never made anything as a singles competitor . Then , in mid - 1993 he signed with WCW and made his infamous debut as The Shockmaster . He would later find himself in the WWF for a brief stay as Typhoon but again did not rise above mid card . Earthquake travelled to Japan in 1993 but made a very brief return in 1994 to engage in a “ Sumo Vs Sumo ” feud with Yokozuna . For the few months Earthquake was in the WWF no mention of the tag - team was made . Earthquake briefly returned to the WWF in 1998 as Golga , a masked mute in the Human Oddities Stable . In 2001 the WWF hosted a sort of reunion of the Natural Disasters as they were both involved in the Gimmick Battle Royal of WrestleMania X - Seven , but Fred Ottman wrestled as Tugboat instead of Typhoon . Commentator Bobby Heenan , however , did allude to their previous alliance . Also , it was Earthquake who wound up eliminating Tugboat .