David “Dr. D” Schultz’s two open-hand slaps on 20/20 correspondent John Stossel became one of wrestling’s most damaging real-life moments. The footage exposed violence that the WWF could not present as part of a match, turning a rising wrestler into a public-relations liability and effectively ending his mainstream career.
What happened between David Schultz and John Stossel?
The confrontation took place on December 28, 1984, at Madison Square Garden while ABC’s 20/20 was filming a report titled “Pro Wrestling Exposed.” Stossel questioned the legitimacy of professional wrestling and said, “I think this is fake.”
Schultz answered, “What? Is that all you got?” He then slapped Stossel and immediately identified what he had done: “That’s an open hand slap.” A second slap followed. The exchange was captured on camera, leaving no ambiguity about whether the blows were part of a scripted match.
Why did Schultz slap Stossel?
The immediate trigger was Stossel’s suggestion that wrestling was fake. At the time, performers and promoters protected kayfabe—the presentation that wrestling contests and the wrestlers’ rivalries were legitimate rather than scripted entertainment.
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Schultz’s response was consistent with an attempt to defend that public image, but the television cameras changed the meaning of the incident. Instead of preserving kayfabe, the footage showed a wrestler assaulting a reporter during an interview. The WWF therefore faced a real-world incident that could not be edited into a storyline or explained as an ordinary match angle.
What did the incident do to the WWF?
The broadcast created a major public-relations problem for the WWF. A company selling wrestling as athletic competition had to answer for an unplanned attack on a journalist, while the clip circulated as evidence that the violence around professional wrestling could be real.
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Schultz had been viewed as a wrestler headed toward stardom. Later accounts from VICE and Prime Video describe the Stossel confrontation as leading to his exile from, or effective end in, mainstream wrestling. The damage was not simply that he had struck Stossel; it was that the nationally televised footage made the company’s efforts to control wrestling’s image harder to sustain.
What injuries and settlement did Stossel report?
Stossel alleged that Schultz struck both of his ears. In contemporary reporting, his lawyer Robert Kelner said Stossel continued to experience pain when exposed to high-pitched or loud sounds.
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On June 29, 1987, UPI reported that Stossel reached a $425,000 settlement in the case involving the WWF. Kelner said, “I expect that a case such as this will deter such violent acts against the public and reporters.” The $425,000 figure is the contemporaneous amount reported by UPI; later retellings sometimes round it differently.
Did the slaps literally end Schultz’s career?
The safest description is that the incident effectively ended Schultz’s mainstream wrestling career, rather than that every later wrestling appearance stopped immediately. Documentary summaries explicitly connect the confrontation with his exile or career end, but they do not provide a complete employment record establishing a single formal termination date.
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- NFHS Official Wrestling Rule Book
There was also another reported career setback. The Independent says Schultz was later fired after trying to attack Mr. T. That episode is distinct from the Stossel interview, but it reinforced the perception that he was too risky for a major wrestling promotion.
Did Vince McMahon order Schultz to attack Stossel?
Schultz later claimed that Vince McMahon told him to attack Stossel and remain in character. That allegation is part of Schultz’s recollection, not an independently established fact in the available accounts. The recorded program does establish what viewers can see and hear: Stossel’s “I think this is fake” comment, Schultz’s response, and the two slaps.
The incident in sequence
- December 28, 1984: ABC’s 20/20 filmed the “Pro Wrestling Exposed” segment at Madison Square Garden.
- During the interview: Stossel questioned wrestling’s legitimacy; Schultz responded verbally and slapped him twice with an open hand.
- After the broadcast: The footage became a public-relations crisis for the WWF because it documented an actual assault outside a match.
- June 29, 1987: UPI reported Stossel’s $425,000 settlement and continuing sensitivity to loud or high-pitched sounds.
- Later accounts: VICE, Prime Video and other historical summaries linked the confrontation to Schultz’s exile or loss of a mainstream wrestling career.
Where can you watch the documentary about the incident?
The most directly focused documentary is Dark Side of the Ring: “David Schultz & The Slap Heard Round the World.” VICE and Prime Video list the episode, but streaming access depends on territory, licensing and the date you check. The incident is also discussed in Irvin Muchnick’s book Wrestling Babylon: Piledriving Tales from the Squared Circle.
Quick Recap
What is firmly documented—and what remains interpretation?
- Documented: The date, the 20/20 segment, Stossel’s “I think this is fake” remark, Schultz’s “That’s an open hand slap” line and the two filmed blows.
- Documented: UPI’s 1987 report of the $425,000 settlement and the symptoms described by Stossel’s lawyer.
- Supported by later summaries: The confrontation’s connection to Schultz’s exile or effective end in mainstream wrestling.
- Unproven allegation: Schultz’s claim that McMahon ordered the attack.
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