10 WWE Wrestlers Who Lived Their Gimmicks
5. David Schultz
“Dr. D” David Schultz was a brawling anti-hero before Steve Austin popularised the character type in WWE. He was tremendously popular in spite of his hard-edged persona, and while an effective heel in his early days, Schultz’s career didn’t take off until he recognised the reactions he was getting. He became a no nonsense, “take no prisoners” babyface, and while his best work came outside WWE, his career’s most notorious moment came during his spell with the company.
Schultz isn’t best known for his wrestling career, but for striking reporter John Stossel during an interview in 1984. Stossel, unfortunately, asked Schultz a question about wrestling being fake, and received two hard slaps for his trouble. Schultz was fired from WWE almost immediately, and Stossel sued the company for thousands of dollars.
Dr. D stands as a perfect example of taking kayfabe way too far, and his staunch refusal to break character spelled the end for his wrestling career. Schultz was effectively blacklisted from the business after hitting Stossel, and few mourned his loss. He portrayed a violent, sociopathic redneck on television, and it turns out there was very little distinction between that and real life.