8 Times Disrespected Wrestlers Went Nuts On Reporters

1. David Schultz Goes Nuts On John Stossel

You do not use the f-bomb around a professional wrestler. Especially pre-'89, when kayfabe was still strictly in effect, you never, ever, call wrestling 'fake'.

In 1984 John Stossel was a reporter for 20/20 conducting an investigation as to the legitimacy of professional wrestling. He would slow down match footage and explain to the audience at home how the wrestlers were pulling off their moves and duping the world.

During a Madison Garden taping, Stossel approached "Dr D" David Schultz and told him, at point blank range, that he thought wrestling was fake. Schultz immediately responding by clouting him with an open hand slap, knocking the man to the floor. Schultz asked "what's that, is that fake?" before giving Stossel another slap to the other side of his head, then chasing him down the corridor.

Like Belzer, Stossel sued and received a payment ofover$400,000. To this day, Schultz claims that the WWF told him to hit the reporter, as a result of all the negative publicity his report was bringing their industry.

Interestingly, Schultz was immediately suspended for his actions, not by Vince, but by the New York State Athletic Commission, the kind of institution McMahon would try to distance himself from in 1989, by finally lifting the veil on the wrestling industry once and for all.

Which other public meltdowns deserve to be on this list? Share your favourites below in the comments thread.