Dave Meltzer Recalls 1992 Talk Show Appearance Alongside WWE's Vince McMahon

Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer has been in and around the wrestling industry for decades, and during a recent edition of the "Wrestling Observer Newsletter," he was reminded of an appearance alongside Vince McMahon, Bruno Sammartino, Murray Hodgson, Superstar Billy Graham, Barry Orton, Tom Hankins, and John Arezzi on a talk show hosted by Phil Donahue in 1992.

"It was one of the weirdest days of my life," Meltzer wrote. He recalled that the show was centered around McMahon defending himself against allegations that male ring boys were abused as well as the steroid scandal. However, McMahon had already secretly settled the case with Tom Cole — who was at the center of the ring boy scandal — the weekend before. 

"Late in the show, McMahon, who was seated next to me after the last commercial break, said, 'This was the longest hour of my life.'" Meltzer recalled.

He stated that the seating arrangements went against the original plan, which ended up putting him, instead of Sammartino, next to McMahon. He then suggested that the original seating was likely done in an attempt for McMahon and Sammartino to get physical with each other because of their differences. 

"While the more sleazy shows that came later that would have been music to their ears, the idea of a confrontation, perhaps even physical with McMahon and Sammartino, two culturally iconic names in New York, where the show was broadcast from," he opined.

Following this, Dave Meltzer recounted the exact story he wrote for "The Observer" back in 1992. 

"Monday morning I received a phone call telling me that McMahon's office was furious about the show because they claimed every guest but one wasn't credible (me supposedly being the one)," the story went.

At the time, Meltzer also heard that Vince McMahon and WWE had a long list of stipulations for his appearance, including audience plants, a two-minute uninterrupted speech, an entourage of two guests (a doctor and lawyer), as well as barring David Schultz from the show, likely following the controversy after he slapped reporter, John Stossel. "They wouldn't agree to any of the stipulations, although later compromised and agreed only to the fourth one (Schultz being barred)," Meltzer wrote.

Meltzer recalled how things were backstage at the talk show, especially in the format the show was going to be in (quick sound bites). However, he specifically noted that Bruno Sammartino wasn't happy. 

"Sammartino was frustrated with McMahon's lies on Friday and was begging everyone to make sure McMahon wasn't allowed to sit next to him because he was afraid of his temper," he wrote. 

Meltzer also claimed that Billy Graham was pacing, and became anxious because he wasn't a television personality.

Dave Meltzer's story continued, as he recalled that tensions were still high minutes before all the guests were set to walk out on stage. 

"I don't know if I've ever been in a room where an aura of mutual hatred so filled the air," Meltzer wrote. "I believe I was the only one who even acknowledged McMahon and I don't think he made eye contact with anyone else in the room, nor vice versa."

In true Vince McMahon fashion, according to Meltzer, he ended up enacting a new strategy that wasn't discussed with the hosts. McMahon, instead of being indignant about the charges he faced, went on the offense against those who made allegations against WWE, especially Bruno Sammartino. 

"To defuse the issue there was only one way to go. McMahon was going to have to do a job on television. Sit back and take the lumps and possibly wind up as a babyface at the end because the intensity of some of the guests would be such that it could turn into overkill," Meltzer wrote. 

An editor's note added to the story claimed that McMahon had secretly planted Tom Cole in the audience to attack all the other guests and champion McMahon. However, this didn't happen as he was allegedly cued to wait for his name to be mentioned, and Barry Orton warned his fellow guests not to say anything about him after he caught on to the plan.

At this point, the story finally reached showtime where some of the guests presented their cases against Vince McMahon. Dave Meltzer recalled that the high point was the opening, where McMahon went one-on-one in a war of words with Murray Hodgson. 

"I don't know if Hodgson was honest or not, but he either blitzed McMahon with a well prepared truthful offensive, or simply out-McMahoned McMahon," he wrote.

Barry Orton and Tom Hankins then presented their charges but McMahon didn't try with his offensive against them. Meltzer then recalled how the rest of the guests — including himself — walked on stage. After the spat between McMahon and Hodgson, Meltzer claims the show never reached a similar emotional peak, and that the live audience didn't buy into his attempts at sincerity, and treated him like the heel he portrayed on television.

"He was clearly the heel and his lack of honesty was pretty well exposed for the entire nation to see," Meltzer wrote. 

He added that despite this, McMahon weathered the storm, even when Billy Graham got "out of control," leading to some sympathy for McMahon. But the crowd still heavily favored "Superstar's" rantings and cheered for him.

"The show was over too soon. It accomplished very little," Dave Meltzer wrote. Despite this, he praised Phil Donahue as the host for not being afraid to put anyone on the spot, as well as his producers for doing thorough research on all their guests. "If there was a negative, I sensed from the audience that the feeling was that no matter how shocking the story, how heinous the situation, that as long as it involved wrestling, to some people, it just didn't matter because as one girl in the audience said, it's (pro wrestling) so sleazy and so gross anyway," Meltzer wrote.

At the end of the show, after McMahon and his entourage had left, Meltzer claimed that a producer approached him to reveal Tom Cole's presence in the audience and that he was sitting with Linda McMahon and Miss Elizabeth. The producer claimed that Cole admitted to him that he'd settled with the McMahon family in secret and that they gave him a job and cared about him. Additionally, he even claimed that Billy Graham lied in the lawsuit.

"None of the people involved had ever met Cole, only spoke to him on the phone, so in the crowd nobody would have recognized him. It was quite the afternoon," Meltzer wrote. (Per "Wrestling Observer Newsletter").

Tragically, Cole took his own life in 2021, which has led many to believe that the allegations were true despite the settlement. Cole's brother, Lee, additionally went on a lengthy social media tirade after his passing, slamming WWE and the McMahons.