In December 1984, journalist John Stossel, known for exposing industry secrets, set his sights on professional wrestling. The result? Two infamous slaps from Dr. D David Schultz, a staunch defender of kayfabe (wrestling’s portrayal as real). This wasn’t just a startling TV moment—it was a pivotal event with lasting effects on wrestling and Schultz’s career.
Dr. D David Schultz delivers the infamous slaps to reporter John Stossel during a 20/20 interview, marking one of wrestling’s most notorious moments and sparking a debate about kayfabe and media scrutiny. Photo Credit: ABC.
The Infamous Confrontation Between David Schultz and John Stossel
David Schultz’s infamous confrontation with reporter John Stossel during a 1984 20/20 segment became one of wrestling’s most talked-about incidents. Schultz insists that only selective footage was shown, leaving much of the story untold. Photo Credit: ABC.
Many fans are familiar with the incident involving John Stossel or have at least heard about it. However, David Schultz, who left the professional wrestling business in 1987 and became a highly successful bounty hunter with over 1,700 captures, insists that people know very little of what really happened.
“When you see the tape with Stossel,” said Schultz in a 2018 interview with Bruce Hart, “you don’t see all the interviews. He tried to do several of them with me that night, three or four. You see the one they wanted you to see.”
Dr. D David Schultz: Early Life and Tough Beginnings in Wrestling
Herb Welch mentored David Schultz with brutal, old-school wrestling methods, stretching him to the point of exhaustion before teaching him how to ‘work’ in the ring. Photo Credit: NWA.
David Schultz grew up in impoverished surroundings in western Tennessee and was obligated to fight for everything he had from an early age.
He was first trained by Herb Welch, whose initial lessons in professional wrestling focused on dissuading a young Schultz by taking him to the brink of exhaustion and dispensing plenty of pain by stretching him.
Schultz could barely walk after the brutal sessions with Welch, and he would regularly have to be gingerly helped out of the car by his wife.
Despite the punishment, the future Dr. D did not falter and continued with his lessons.
Welch, who would fight people on oil rigs and carnivals (or Athletic Shows), was one of the last pillars of the old guard of rough grapplers who learned from the earliest pioneers of the sport who practiced the dangerous art of catch-as-catch-can (wrestling in which most holds are permitted).
David Schultz’s Early Wrestling Career
In his early career, Dr. D David Schultz (pictured here in Stampede Wrestling) honed his skills in the brutal world of hooking maneuvers, techniques meant to incapacitate opponents. As his style evolved, Schultz learned the art of "working" in the ring, which set the stage for his later success. Photo Credit: WWE.
When starting, David Schultz was not smartened up to the intricacies of professional wrestling. Instead, he was mostly taught hooking maneuvers that could legitimately cripple an opponent if needed so that he would be able to hold his own in and out of the ring.
Later, a befuddled Schultz was told he “wouldn’t make a dime” in the business like that and was eventually taught to actually “work.”
Welch would also tell him, “Don’t go outside and talk to the fans and sign autographs because you’re a heel. If you do and people see you doing that, they’ll say, ‘He’s not that bad of a guy.'”
David Schultz debuted in the small Missouri town of Malden for very little money and sometimes wrestled up to five times per card, earning $10-$15 for three hours of work that was supposed to cover gas and other expenses.
He rapidly found success in Stampede Wrestling in Canada, owned by Stu Hart, and various other NWA territories, such as the Pacific Northwest in Oregon, Tennessee, and Florida. Later, he was main-eventing with Verne Gagne’s AWA and Hulk Hogan.
Dr. D David Schultz’s Heel Transformation in WWF
Dr. D David Schultz embraced his role as a menacing heel in WWF, quickly establishing himself as a dangerous, no-nonsense character. His portrayal of a backwoods tough guy with an unpredictable edge earned him both heat from fans and notoriety within the industry. Photo Credit: WWE.
After finding success in various territories, Dr. D David Schultz joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) in late 1983.
His official WWF debut came on December 15th, 1983, at a house show in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Schultz quickly established himself as a top heel in the promotion, with his character taking shape over the following months.
In the WWF, Schultz’s character was crafted as a rugged, backwoods tough guy with a penchant for firearms. His gimmick included a supposedly inbred family, which added to his persona as an uncouth and dangerous heel.
In a segment on Tuesday Night Titans, Schultz says he received a lot of heat for the way he treated “his family” and received a lot of hate mail, including people calling child protective services. The children on the segment would start crying, and Schultz had to be reminded that he wasn’t really mad at them!
Watch Dr. D David Schultz and “his family” on Tuesday Night Titans:
According to David Schultz, being a heel was a perfect fit. “It was natural for me. I loved being a heel. I would not ever be a good guy. I’m a bad guy at heart; I don’t like anybody. Everything’s wrong with me. I [moan] and complain about everything. If you give me the world, I want a turnip patch on the outside.”
“What you saw on TV is what you got,” said “Playboy” Buddy Rose, who worked with Schultz in an intense feud in the Pacific Northwest in 1981.
Leo Burke, who worked with Schultz on top in Stampede Wrestling and the Maritimes, once remarked, “He was very, very temperamental. If he liked you, he liked you. If he didn’t like you, he’d let you know.”
As a heel, David Schultz quickly learned how to take fans to the boiling point but almost paid dearly on many occasions.
“I’ve had people get so mad, they’ve come out and cut my tires, set my car on fire, even tried to kidnap my daughter once in Calgary while at school.”
He also remembers when starting out in Missouri early in his career that the policemen would hit them with blackjacks, and the women even tried cutting them with scissors. “It got bad; it got real bad.”
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John Stossel’s 20/20 Exposé: Uncovering Wrestling’s Secrets
In his 1984 20/20 exposé, John Stossel aimed to expose pro wrestling’s secrets. His confrontational questioning led Dr. D David Schultz to deliver two infamous slaps, an incident that forever altered wrestling’s media landscape. Photo Credit: ABC.
Kayfabe was the notion that what was presented to the public was a true athletic contest between individuals who bore a grudge that needed to be solved in the squared circle.
With professional wrestling’s increasing mainstream popularity in the ’80s, John Stossel decided to try to divulge its secrets to the world in 1984.
In this particular TV piece on the program 20/20, he also spoke to “The Continental Lover” Eddy Mansfield who remains a controversial figure to this day, and former football player turned wrestler and promoter Jim Wilson.
Both were upfront and very candid, saying that they were unhappy with what they saw as unjust pay and unfair treatment from unscrupulous wrestling promoters of the time. Mansfield and Wilson blatantly admitted that the wrestling matches had predetermined outcomes.
According to Stossel, as told to Barbara Walters in the 20/20 segment, this led to Mansfield losing his job.
Stossel even got into a ring with a very willing Mansfield, who showed him various wrestling holds. Stossel noticed that they indeed required teamwork for them to work and that with enough cooperation and selling, seemingly anybody could do what wrestlers did on television.
Mansfield also sickeningly demonstrated the technique of “blading” — the act of cutting your forehead with a razor blade to open a horizontal slash across it (the sure way to have permanent scarring) — as Stossel stared on in disbelief.
As crimson red dripped from Mansfield’s forehead, John Stossel was shocked by the fact that it wasn’t capsules that caused it as he had earlier assumed.
Years later, with his wrestling career behind him, Mansfield reflected on his 20/20 interview.
In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, he said, “When I did that, I did it for all the young guys out there night after night busting their butts who were being taken advantage of by some of the promoters. Do you think wrestling stars of today would be making the huge dollars they are if I had not stepped up and said what I said? I think not.”
Jim Wilson, on the other hand, took it up a notch in his exposing of the business when he went on to co-write a tell-all book with Weldon T. Johnson entitled, Chokehold: Pro Wrestling’s Real Mayhem Outside the Ring, published in 2003.
Wilson alleged that his wrestling career was cut short after he refused unwanted advances from a wrestling promoter. In his book, he named Jim Barnett as the promoter in question, though this claim remains unverified.
The Infamous Slap: Dr. D David Schultz Confronts John Stossel
Dr. D David Schultz delivers two open-handed slaps to John Stossel during a backstage interview at Madison Square Garden in 1984, sparking one of the most controversial moments in wrestling history. This confrontation led to a lawsuit and forever changed the way media interacted with professional wrestling. Photo Credit: ABC.
David Schultz admited he wasn’t fond of outsiders in the dressing room. “I didn’t care who it was, TV, producer, building owner… if they didn’t have a license for that state, I’d kick them out,” he stated.
In a 2018 interview, Schultz defended his actions against Stossel, claiming, “I made John Stossel. Nobody knew who John Stossel was, and after that night and all the whining this guy did, crying like a baby, going out there on Barbara Walters…”
Hulk Hogan, in his book Hollywood Hulk Hogan, recalls suspecting Stossel’s true intentions: “I called up Vince, and I said, ‘Red Alert, pal. This guy’s not out to do a story on how popular Hulk Hogan is. He’s trying to reveal whether wrestling is fake or not.'”
As Stossel’s questioning intensified, Schultz grew increasingly agitated. When Stossel flatly stated, “I think it’s fake,” Schultz responded with two vicious open-hand slaps to Stossel’s head.
Schultz claimed he heard, “I think you’re fake,” and that he never hit Stossel’s ears but instead “*****-slapped him.”
Hogan later commented, “I said ring-a-ding-ding, there’s a lawsuit right there. Sure enough, we got sued, and Stossel said that he suffered severe ear damage. I believe it. I saw the hits, and I know if anybody hit my ear like that, they’d break my eardrum.”
The Fallout: John Stossel’s Story and the Impact of the Slap
David Schultz has long claimed Vince McMahon instructed him to confront John Stossel, an action that would result in a high-profile lawsuit and Schultz’s suspension. Photo Credit: WWE.
The incident between David Schultz and John Stossel had significant repercussions. Schultz has long maintained that Vince McMahon ordered him to confront Stossel, claiming McMahon pulled him aside with other wrestlers as witnesses and instructed him to “blast him” and “tear his *** up” while staying in character.
After the incident, Schultz says McMahon praised his actions but advised him to leave the venue to avoid potential arrest. He was then sent to NJPW in Japan to let the situation cool down.
Marvin Kohn, deputy commissioner of the New York State Athletic Commission, immediately suspended Schultz, stating it was unprecedented for a wrestler to attack someone outside the ring. Schultz admitted to the allegations in a letter to the commission but claimed he never intended to hurt Stossel.
John Stossel and the WWF (Titan Sports) settled out of court for $425,000, though some sources cite $450,000. Stossel received over 1,000 calls about his health and believed the commission’s suspension of Schultz was insufficient.
In the aftermath, Schultz claims he was never personally sued by Stossel or arrested, but Vince McMahon (Titan Sports) was. He alleges that McMahon later sued him for $25,000 and placed liens on his properties to recover the settlement money.
The incident had lasting implications for wrestling’s public image. As Stossel remarked in his 20/20 piece, “Maybe fake violence breeds real violence and not just amongst the fans. It seems to egg on bullies like 6’6″, 260 lbs Dave Schultz.”
Was the Dr. D David Schultz Slap Planned by Vince McMahon?
Some believe Vince McMahon expected John Stossel’s controversial question about wrestling being fake, possibly setting the stage for Dr. D David Schultz’s infamous slap to generate publicity. Pictured here in an episode of WWF Tuesday Night Titans from December 28, 1984, the debate over whether it was a planned spectacle still lingers. Photo Credit: WWE.
Another school of thought claims Vince McMahon anticipated John Stossel would ask the “standard question” about wrestling being fake, and that Schultz’s aggressive response would generate significant press attention.
Wrestling historian Sharon Mazer points to “wrestlers’ potential for actual violence when confronted with an outsider’s skepticism” and suggests that Stossel likely anticipated a strong reaction to his questioning.
In an interview with Barbara Walters after the exposé aired, Stossel claimed his doctor (his brother, according to Schultz) diagnosed him with probable permanent ear damage. Stossel expressed anger over being hit on both ears, stating they hurt when exposed to loud noises or voices.
Dr. D David Schultz’s Wrestling Career Declines After the Stossel Incident
Dr. D David Schultz’s pro wrestling career faced setbacks after the John Stossel incident, including outside-of-the-ring clashes with Hulk Hogan, who allegedly feared Schultz would try to take his championship spotlight. Photo Credit: WWE.
Jonh Stossel would acknowledge to Barbara Walters that Dr. D. Schultz was an exception in the wrestling world, stating, “Most of these wrestlers are hard-working guys who know it’s an act and keep it to the act.
Schultz’s career faced several setbacks following the Stossel incident. In September 1984, he had an altercation with a fan and later a confrontation with Mr. T, which led to further complications.
Schultz claims he was forcibly removed from a WWF event in Los Angeles due to Mr. T’s concerns.
Schultz speculates that the John Stossel incident was a setup by Vince McMahon to facilitate his removal from the company. This theory is fueled by his past relationship with Hulk Hogan, whom Schultz had considered a friend and even helped during Hogan’s early financial struggles.
“Later on, he acts like he don’t know you,” Schultz lamented. “To me, he’s a piece of garbage.”
Life After Wrestling: Dr. D David Schultz’s Journey as a Bounty Hunter
After leaving wrestling, David Schultz transitioned into a successful career as a bounty hunter, apprehending fugitives worldwide and earning more than he ever did in wrestling. Photo Credit: WWE.
Dr. D David Schultz claims that Vince McMahon was the main reason he could not work in pro wrestling after the John Stossel debacle. So, out of necessity, he changed careers and became a very successful bounty hunter.
He says he made more money apprehending people on the run who had skipped bail than he ever made in professional wrestling. Sometimes the fugitive would even recognize Dr. D and want his autograph.
Schultz further says that he never had the opportunity to apprehend any of “the boys,” though!
David Schultz became so good at bounty hunting that John Cosper, the author of the book, Don’t Call Me Fake: The Real Story of “Dr. D” David Schultz, while writing the book and speaking with various bail bonds persons, says that if given the choice of sending Dr. D or Dog The Bounty Hunter, “there’s no comparison.”
Schultz, having chased people all over the world, says, “I’ve brought in government officials, town mayors, bankers, murderers, [deviants]… all walks of life.”
He continues, “I got big bonds. Some of my paydays were $40,000 for bringing people in, but you don’t get those overnight. It takes 6-8 months to track these people.”
Watch Dr. D David Schultz in action as a bounty hunter below:
Wrestling Legends React to Dr. D David Schultz’s Slap on John Stossel
Eddy Mansfield (left), who exposed the wrestling business in the same 20/20 segment, and Dr. D David Schultz (right) both made headlines for different reasons. Schultz’s infamous slap on John Stossel sparked outrage, while Mansfield’s revelations about wrestling’s predetermined outcomes further fueled the controversy. Photo Credit: WWE.
Jesse “The Body” Ventura remembered in a 2018 interview when the 20/20 report aired, the WWF drew even more fans than before, and some arenas even had banners that said “20/20 sucks.”
In his opinion, John Stossel picked one of the worst guys in the locker room to accuse of being a fraud.
“John Stossel was an indifferent *** who worked for 20/20, trying to take cheap shots [with wrestling],” later added Bruce Hart.
“My father [Stu Hart] would say that Schultz was the only one who stood up for the business, and for that, he should’ve been commended.
“My father admired him for that and was pissed off at wrestlers who didn’t support what he had done to Stossel. I remember Hogan being criticized for not backing him up.”
Bob Orton Jr. added that he saw Schultz telling Stossel on several occasions that he could ask him anything EXCEPT “Is wrestling fake?” Stossel reassured him that he wasn’t going to ask him that.
So, did Stossel lie about his promise? Orton believes that hitting Stossel was the sole reason for his firing from the WWF.
In his book Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling, Bret Hart recounts, “When the WWF granted John Stossel backstage access, it was to get more hype for WrestleMania. The wrestlers were preparing for their matches and didn’t welcome the intrusion. The more he pushed his microphone in everyone’s faces, the tenser the boys got.”
Hart continued, “I can’t say it was right for Schultz to do, but I think wrestlers everywhere have always respected Dave for protecting the business.
In a later interview with Steve Austin, Hart said he felt that Stossel did deserve to get slapped and that he crossed the line by a long shot. Austin is of the opinion that Stossel picked the wrong person, the wrong place, and the wrong time to conduct that interview.
Greg “The Hammer” Valentine, who prided himself on being believable in the ring, hated the exposé done by 20/20 and admitted that he wanted to kill Eddy Mansfield for what he did and that nobody liked what Stossel had done either.
The Honky Tonk Man, who, as Wayne Farris, had worked and traveled with Schultz many times, had a suspicion that because Mr. Fuji was seen in the hallway (along with the Iron Sheik) with a big smile watching the whole incident develop, he thinks that maybe Schultz might even have been egged on to slap Stossel, maybe even with some money involved between the boys like a bet or a dare.
The late Mr. Fuji gave his opinion, stating, “I was there laughing; we all laughed. He made trouble on his own, and David just protected himself and the business.”
He continued, “He was a hero; you’d better believe it. He’s a good man who protected the business.”
Dr. D David Schultz: The Man Who Never Broke Character
Dr. D David Schultz never broke character, maintaining the tough, no-nonsense persona that made him infamous. Even years after leaving wrestling, he still embodies the heel persona that captivated fans. "I was the best heel. NOBODY compared to me," Schultz proudly asserts. Photo Credit: WWE.
Even now, David Schultz seems to never waver too far from his former in-ring persona and still lives up to the aura of the tough guy brawler who was never afraid to challenge anyone or take B.S. from anybody.
“I ain’t gonna say that there’s none out there that can beat me, but there’s a very few, and they’re dying quick!” claimed Schultz as he cackled maniacally. “Every time I read the paper, there’s another one gone.”
Bruce Hart is convinced that if Schultz had not had that incident with John Stossel, Dr. D would have been one of those iconic heels everyone discusses today.
To that, Schultz answered, “I hate to tell Bruce that he’s mistaken, but I was the best heel. NOBODY compared to me.”
Schultz continued, “They all loved my interviews because I was a rich woman’s lover and a poor girl’s dream! I turned down nobody.
“I wrestled everybody: their brother, their cousins, their sisters. The only one I turned down was Stu [Hart]. I didn’t want to get in the ring with Stu!”
Aftermath: Dr. D David Schultz Defends His Actions Against John Stossel
Dr. D David Schultz, featured in a 2020 episode of VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring, continues to defend his actions from the infamous John Stossel incident, maintaining that he never hit Stossel’s ears. Schultz remains unwavering in his stance. Photo Credit: VICE.
He took an envelope with supposedly Stossel’s deposition (a sworn, out-of-court testimony) and also called out “Stone Cold” Steve Austin for continuing to “lie” by saying that Schultz hit Stossel on his ears.
Dr. D says that he still has “one fight left in him” and wants Steve Austin “face-to-face.”
As of now, this has not taken place!
The Legacy of Dr. D David Schultz and the John Stossel Incident
Dr. D David Schultz slaps John Stossel during a 20/20 interview in 1984, an incident that has since become a defining moment in wrestling history, raising questions about kayfabe and media scrutiny. The lasting impact was revisited in the 2024 Netflix documentary series Mr. McMahon. Photo Credit: ABC.
Dr. D David Schultz’s confrontation with John Stossel encapsulates the tension between professional wrestling’s protected kayfabe and the increasing media scrutiny of the 1980s.
The slaps heard ’round the wrestling world continue to echo decades later. In 2020, VICE’s Dark Side of the Ring series covered the incident, and most recently, the 2024 Netflix documentary series “Mr. McMahon” revisited this infamous moment, providing new insights into the event.
The Netflix series covers lawsuits filed by John Stossel and Richard Belzer, among other controversies.
The documentary revealed that Vince McMahon initially celebrated Schultz’s actions, with Tony Atlas recounting, “Vince was celebrating it in front of everybody. People were praising him in the locker room and giving him pats on the back.”
However, this enthusiasm quickly turned to concern when Stossel sued and settled for $425,000.
This incident contributes to what Paul Heyman describes as “The Shakespearean tragedy of this tale” surrounding Vince McMahon’s career and legacy in professional wrestling.
As the wrestling world continues to evolve, the Schultz-Stossel incident remains a fascinating chapter in its history – one that continues to provoke discussion, debate, and reflection on the nature of the business and the lengths some would go to protect it.
Watch the 20/20 exposé on professional wrestling, including David Schultz slapping John Stossel:
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Javier Ojst is an old-school wrestling enthusiast currently residing in El Salvador. He's been a frequent guest on several podcasts and has a few bylines on TheLogBook.com, where he shares stories of pop culture and retro-related awesomeness. He has also been published on Slam Wrestling and in G-FAN Magazine.