"TOUGH"

John Stossel, huh?
Who'd a thunk it.
Gotta admit I would never in a million years thought Stossel would have anywhere near the stones to do something like that.

I believe there was also a SNL comedian (Andy Kaufmann?) who wound-up severely injured & in a neck brace after *only* one body slam, too. (~was thrown down onto the same *soft* canvas mat these guys do their falls on, at that... :o) )

Reminds me of a song, when it comes to punking-off about certain topics from afar.
Song's titled, "The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range."

...most appropro', no? ;^)

John Stossel approached Dr. D (Dave Schultz) backstage after a "performance" circa 1985. Obviously still winded and no doubt pulse still pounding, Dr. D was known as a loose cannon even when the cameras were not rolling. Stossel walked up to him, shoved a mic in his yap and said, "I think wrestling's fake."

The wrestler turned and swatted him across the ear with an open hand and dropped him right there. And then nailed him across the other side of his head yelling, "You think that's fake?!"

The look in Stossel's eyes was utter fear. They ended up settling a lawsuit for about a half-million.

Andy Kaufman had a running verbal fued with Jerry Lawler who is still an announcer (atleast,when I last checked a few months ago.) His running diatribe is actually quite humorous (imho). I was around when that little war was going on and I still think Kaufman was playing the "injury" up for the sake of the ongoing saga. There was plenty of money to be made by keeping that battle in the headlines.

As far as those that cry "Wrestling is FAKE!" They're also the same ones that tune in every week to see what Tony Soprano does next.

"The wrestler turned and swatted him across the ear with an open hand and dropped him right there. And then nailed him across the other side of his head yelling, 'You think that's fake?!'"

I repeat...these people on the professional wrestling circuit are some mighty, big, boys (& girls).
Of course you know that, already; however, people misconstrue the very *meaning* of the word, "fake."
Take it to mean these guys -- if they wanted to -- couldn't inflict harm if they tried.

Truth is, they're not trying.
I *invite* anyone -- regardless of size, strength, fighting skills -- to walk up to one of these guys & punk-off to 'em to their face.
Just to make it fair, too, they can punk off before the act; before, adrenalin levels are off the scale. :o)

"The look in Stossel's eyes was utter fear. They ended up settling a lawsuit for about a half-million."

I believe the colloquial term for that *look* might be, "Terminal Shock"? ;^)
Stossel's extremely lucky to be alive to spend *any* moneies a'tall, IMO.

"Andy Kaufman had a running verbal fued with Jerry Lawler who is still an announcer (atleast,when I last checked a few months ago.) His running diatribe is actually quite humorous (imho). I was around when that little war was going on and I still think Kaufman was playing the 'injury' up for the sake of the ongoing saga."

Honestly?
I can't comment on the validity of that fight.
Only to say that brace & the way he sport it looked real enough to me.

"There was plenty of money to be made by keeping that battle in the headlines."

HA!!
No doubt.
There're people out there who are actually *surprised* to learn what these #1 names in professional wrestling earn in a year.
Same ones who're *shocked* a hick like Dale Earnhardt could out-earn Michael Jordan, too.
I've found a good barometer -- the sure-mark -- of one's "narrow-mindedness" on matters like these??
Is always the sincere shock they'll show.

...after learning the kinds of $$s we're talking about, here? :o)

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