Otis Explains the Origins of The Worm from His Pre-WWE Days

Otis broke onto the scene in WWE as 1/2 of Heavy Machinery. He was the breakout of that tag team as Tucker was eventually released, but Otis stayed with the company. As a member of Alpha Academy, Otis has quite a following, and they can’t wait to see him break out the Caterpillar, his variation of the classic Worm.

Scotty Too Hotty lit up WWE in the 1990s and 2000s with his Worm. He got a fantastic reaction from crowds all over as they chanted along with his move. To this day, at 51-years-old he can still go in the ring and bust out that move. However, a new Superstar is doing it in WWE today.

During a conversation with Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Otis recalled when he first did The Worm. It turns out that his love of the move predates his WWE career by decades.

“I remember it was called the Sock Hop at Cooper Elementary School. My mom goes, ‘We need to get your ass out of the house. You’re watching too many horror movies, you’re watching too much damn wrestling. Get out of the house! I’m gonna take you to the Sock Hop.’ At a Sock Hop, parents are forced to dance, and we get in there and, of course, you know it’s typical — I’m not going to dance with a girl. It’s kind of like fifth grade, and you know, all right.”

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“So I walk up to the DJ and said, ‘Excuse me, sir, do you have “Batter Up” by Nelly?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, but I wasn’t planning on playing that.’ He said he’d play it next. I walked away. The next thing I know, I’m just waiting for the song to play. About ten more polka songs came on. Finally, ‘Batter Up’ goes on, and every, you know, all the dudes finally get down to their chicks. I just dropped down and did it. Boom! Got that first reaction.”

WWE eventually paired Otis up with Chad Gable, who actually have a long-standing friendship that predates WWE. However, in April 2024, Chad Gable turned heel after multiple failed attempts to win the Intercontinental Championship, blaming his stablemates for his losses and declaring that their sole focus should be helping him win the title. After weeks of mistreatment, Otis, Maxxine Dupri, and Akira Tozawa walked out on Gable, with Otis taking over as leader of the stable.

Despite Chad Gable’s attempts to reunite with Otis, he was repeatedly rejected. On the July 15 WWE RAW, Otis, Dupri, and Tozawa joined Xavier Woods in his feud against The Final Testament but lost a six-man tag team match. Afterward, Gable, aligned with The Creed Brothers, attacked Otis for refusing to reunite with him. Otis is still getting plenty of television time, and ironically, their Cricket Wireless “Chair Phone” commercials still air during WWE programming every week.

We will keep an eye on Otis, because his career is far from over. He has proved himself as a versatile performer, and odds are Triple H will be able to find something for him to do for years to come. He will also probably keep that Caterpillar as part of his move set for the rest of his career as well.

Keep checking back with us here at Ringside News for more on this story and so much much. You never know what will break next, but we will be here with all the updates and insider stories you need.

What do you think is next for Otis in WWE, and how do you feel about his evolution as a performer since his Heavy Machinery days? Let us know in the comments below!