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There have been countless individuals who have walked in and out of the WWE door over the years, with some leaving more of an impact than others. There are some who don’t do much during their time in the promotion, with a forgettable legacy. Daniel Puder is someone who was only in WWE for quite a short time, but in that period he had some moments and a career that fans may never forget. However, after winning the Tough Enough competition, Puder’s time in the company was riddled with bad memories, controversy, and embarrassing moments, with that being very much the reason why he is remembered so much.

Daniel Puder Nearly Broke Kurt Angle’s Arm On SmackDown

In the fourth edition of Tough Enough in 2004, Daniel Puder made his first foray towards a WWE contract as a contestant. Puder impressed with his strong physique, sporting background, and look, and it would see him eventually go on to win the competition, earning himself a WWE contract and a big wad of money. However, before he even won the tournament, he managed to make a major statement on an episode of SmackDown in a moment which could have gone down as one of the most catastrophic segments of all time.

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Kurt Angle, one of WWE’s top stars at the time, came to the ring for a segment intended to help advertise Tough Enough. He challenged those in the competition to earn a chance to battle him in a shoot match. Given Angle’s background as an amateur wrestler, notably being an Olympic Gold Medallist, it seemed a given that Angle would easily dispatch of anyone in the Tough Enough competition. He would initially defeat Chris Nawrocki, before Daniel Puder stepped up to the plate.

Daniel Puder Vs Kurt Angle

After some back and forth, Puder locked Angle in with a kimura (non-MMA fans will recognize this move as one performed by Brock Lesnar), though Puder had it legitimately locked in. With some quick thinking, the referee counted Puder’s shoulders to the mat, despite Angle not holding him down. As noted by PWInsider at the time, Angle was furious at this incident, as it threatened his image as a great wrestler. Angle would have likely been forced to submit or had his arm broken had the referee not thought on his feet. This wasn’t really Puder’s fault, but it got him in the bad books of a top name.

Daniel Puder Had An Embarrassing PPV Run In WWE

At the Armageddon PPV in 2004, Puder fought The Miz, and was later crowned the Tough Enough winner. This PPV outing was completely unremarkable with them boxing one another. It was hard to watch despite them each being brave enough to step into the ring for a legit brawl. Puder would then begin his journey in WWE, working on the live event circuit against Hardcore Holly, in which Puder was booked to go over the veteran.

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Daniel Puder Gets Punted Royal Rumble 2005 Cropped

Apparently, despite Puder being booked as the victor, he would begin bragging about these victories openly, which didn’t sit well with the likes of Holly and others on the roster. Just a couple of months into his WWE run, Puder was entered into the 2005 Royal Rumble match, but this was solely meant to embarrass him. He was chopped and beaten down stiffly by those in the ring, before being unceremoniously tossed out the match in an infamous Rumble moment. Puder would then get sent down to OVW.

Daniel Puder Continued Making Enemies After His WWE Release

Puder only lasted a couple of months in OVW before getting released, with him sharing some unsavory thoughts for WWE’s developmental territory in an interview with Yahoo Sports, where he talked about running shows in places with the same 20 or so fans. “They all looked the same, they all had maybe three teeth each, and they all had the same name. Finally, one night I walked in and saw all the inbreds and thought to myself, ‘What am I doing with my life?’”

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Kurt Angle Vs Daniel Puder Cropped

Even after leaving WWE, Puder was making enemies. An OVW manager responded to Puder's remarks, stating that Puder cried upon receiving his WWE release, despite him presenting himself as someone who is tougher than others and on a higher horse of those that he was wrestling for. Regardless of who was in the right and who was in the wrong, it doesn’t change the fact that Puder had legit heat and created many real-life rivalries in just a short space of time. He will be remembered though, with him getting added to the list of Tough Enough winners who weren’t cut out for WWE, in addition to being someone who caused a fair bit of controversy in the company too.