Firstly the woman was in the wrong by reclining the seat while the plane was taking off, everyone knows you have to have the seat upright and the trays stowed and seatbelts buckled on take-off and landing . Secondly the man should have just called for cabin crew and asked them to have a word about the reclining seat..getting into a brawl where he ultimately physically attacked her was totally unacceptable, and it must have happened really fast before anyone could prevent it.
Thirdly the airlines are at fault for cramming so many seats into cabin class and yet still having recline-able seats allowing people...and lets' not forget they are there to be reclined... to invade someone's space behind during an ultimately already cramped uncomfortable flight.
I have to admit I do recline the seat..I have to, I have a back problem which means I cannot sit upright and rigid for several hours, so I have to recline the seat for part of the flight..but I wait until everyone's had their food and drinks, and then gently recline the seat back so I'm not in agony the whole flight!!
I do get a little tired of listening to people moaning about reclining seats, when that's what they're there for...if they weren't meant to be reclined they would have the a gadget that prevents it. When all is said and done..the airlines are at fault for leaving such little room between the rows of seating...and if passengers were just a little more respectful to the person behind them if they Have to recline their seats, then this airline seat rage might not be so endemic..!!