There are several controversial incidents happening over the years in the pro wrestling world. But very few controversies destroyed the careers of wrestlers. The top names on that list are VADER, Alberto Del Rio, Daniel Puder, and many more.
However, here is another infamous old-school wrestler who ruined his whole wrestling career with just two mere slaps. It is none other than Hall of Famer David Schultz. Despite having a solid run in pro wrestling, his whole career was in shambles with just one single controversy.
David Schultz once slapped a reporter which ended his wrestling career
Former professional wrestler David Schultz was a legend of old-school professional wrestling. He debuted in the professional wrestling business in the mid-1970s. Many fans praised the legend for his on-screen heel personality, which caught the eye of Vince McMahon and brought him to WWE during the 1980s.
However, David Schultz’s professional wrestling career came to a halt when he got involved with the well-known reporter John Stossel who worked for ABC’s 20/20 in a controversial interview. At one point, The interview became physical where David Schultz legitimately slapped Stossel, not just once but twice on camera after Stossel called professional wrestling fake.
From the 1980s to the 1990s, there was confusion regarding pro wrestling authenticity. Most of the old WWE fans used to believe that pro wrestling was real not scripted, but some thought it the other way around. But at present, almost everyone knows that pro wrestling is scripted due to the presence of social media.
In older times, though, fans used to watch wrestling bouts, thinking it was a real fight between stars and David just wanted to not let that interest of fans die.
David Schultz had a legendary professional wrestling legacy before the controversy
Before his controversial interview with John Stossel, the former athlete David Schultz was already a wrestling veteran, as he had been around the industry for more than a decade at that time. Since the mid-1970s, David wrestled for many wrestling organizations, including his most known arc in Stampede Wrestling.
Throughout his wrestling career, he became a prominent athlete with many title wins. He performed as a tag team member also and won the tag team title. The legend also got inducted into the Stampede Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995.
Furthermore, David Schultz is arguably best known for his rigid masculine personality. Schultz gave his whole while performing as a heel throughout his career. His ability to cut effective promos helped him establish himself among the top heel performers in the company. Schultz’s heel persona was so over-the-top that even today fans would find his antics entertaining. For instance, one could search for David Schultz’s promos on YouTube and can understand why he has a reputation for being a notorious canon on-screen and in real life.
Do you think David Schultz deserved a second shot in pro wrestling? Let us know your thoughts on it in the comment section.
