10 Wrestlers Who Were Punished For Breaking Kayfabe

4. Daniel Puder

When Tough Enough wasn't renewed for a fourth season, the competition became part of Smackdown, and what was once an entertaining reality show was reduced to a series of bizarre skits involving wrestlers, rookies, and no script. On the show's November 4, 2004 episode, the contestants were forced to participate in a squat thrust contest, with the winner getting the grand prize of a shoot wrestling match with Kurt Angle. Chris Nawrocki had the honor, and Angle quickly broke his ribs and tapped him out. Angle made an open challenge to any of the rookies, and front-runner Daniel Puder - who had MMA experience - accepted. The two tussled and Angle took Puder down, but the rookie applied a kimura lock, nearly breaking the Olympic Gold Medalist's arm. Angle managed to hold on through the pain and he pushed Puder to the man, "pinning" him despite the fact that Puder got his shoulders up. Puder, who was seen as disrespectful to Angle, became the most hated man in the locker room. He won the contest, but his only WWE appearance after that came in the 2005 Royal Rumble, where Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Hardcore Holly chopped him repeatedly. After the guaranteed first year of his contract ended, WWE offered him a standard developmental deal and he left the company.