10 shocking moments from WWE 2004

#2 Daniel Puder almost breaks Kurt Angle's arm

Unscripted enough for you?

WWE's Tough Enough has always been seen as a bit of an unnecessary addition to the company's long list of programming. The concept of the show was that after a series of gruelling training and competitions, the winner was awarded a contract with WWE. Unfortunately, no one has ever really emerged from the show to go on and make a name for themselves on the main platform.

Perhaps the most famous name to come out of Tough Enough is Daniel Puder, and not entirely for the right reasons. During an episode of Smackdown in 2004, Kurt Angle issued a series of open challenges to face him in a 'shoot-style' fight inside the ring.

After Kurt defeated his fellow Tough Enough peer Chris Nawrocki, Puder stepped up and gave Angle more than what he bargained for. After a tussle between the two, Puder managed to lock in the Kimura on the Olympian, coming close to breaking the legend's arm in front of the Smackdown audience. Angle had to think fast and pinned Puder's shoulders to the mat so that the referee had time to make the three count.

Immediately after the decision was made, Angle got in Puder's face, making him aware of how unprofessional the former UFC star had been and how this was a wrestling match, not an MMA affair.

Puder's time with WWE remained very much on the periphery following this unfortunate occurrence, before eventually moving on to ROH and NJPW. In hindsight, the whole incident looks like a humorous anecdote wrestling fans like to tell each other.

However, had Angle and the ref not thought fast enough, the whole concept of Tough Enough being a show for rookies would have been turned completely on its head.