"He gave me an opportunity" - Former WWE star shares his honest thoughts on Vince McMahon; says he will always be a "wrestling icon" (Exclusive)

Following Vince McMahon's retirement from WWE, countless wrestlers have come out to thank the former CEO for his contributions to the industry. Former WWE star Fred Ottman is no exception, as he recently heaped praise on McMahon.

Ottman started his time in WWE as the Big Steel Man and has since donned many hats within the company. From Tugboat to The Shockmaster, Ottman has portrayed multiple characters throughout his wrestling journey. He is also fondly remembered for his time as Earthquake's tag team partner.

Speaking to Bill Apter of Sportskeeda Wrestling, Fred Ottman shared his thoughts on Vince McMahon. Here's what he had to say when asked about the latter's retirement from the Stamford-based company.

"Maybe I plead the fifth on that one because in God we trust. Everybody else pays cash and Vince McMahon will always be a wrestling icon. Whether you love him or you hate him. he's the man. What did he do for my career? He gave me an opportunity like he gave everybody else an opportunity to do something that we all love - hopefully everybody loves to do it." [1:18 - 1:45]

Check out the full interview in the video below:

Former WWE star Fred Ottman on what it means to be a part of the wrestling business

In the same interview, Ottman discussed the wrestling industry's significance for him and credited the fans as an integral part of his journey.

"I know that it means a lot to me to have been a part of this business," said Ottman. "Being here today at this event, I get to see my wrestling family. I've talked to different guys throughout the morning just like you and I get to see the wrestling fans and I always say, people get tired of it, without the wrestling fans the wrestlers are nothing and are nowhere" [1:45 - 2:14]

Ottman recently interacted with wrestling fans at The Gathering Wrestling Convention and showed gratitude towards them. He often makes appearances at such conventions and wrestling meet-and-greets.

The legend competed in his final WWE match during the WrestleMania 17 event. He featured in a Battle Royal at the show, won by The Iron Sheik. It will be interesting to see if he returns to the promotion in some capacity moving forward.

Thanks to www.tmartpromotions.com for making this interview possible.

Please embed the video and H/T Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use any quotes from the article.