Like you, I read a whole different version. The version I read told that a passenger had carried on two bags and one was too large to fit in the overhead compartment. He told her she would have to check the bag and she got upset and cursed him, while also slamming the compartment door onto his forehead.
I worked in customer service for many years and have put up with a lot of rude behavior that was unjustified, all while having to grin and bear it. So, I give the guy kudos! There you have it. One who supports him! ;-)
The problem is, the Wall Street Journal article lists 3 people (and names them). Only one of them claims to have seen the altercation, and she did not explain what happened in the altercation, just that the lady had not been rude.
Time took that article, and rewrote it without naming anyone and without doing any research into why the guy had a cut on his face before the plane took off. So we get a 3rd hand account, with no named sources, from Time magazine, and we are supposed to believe that?
This guy was a big hero until we learned he was gay. Then, he became a drama queen.