10 Wrestling Matches So Brutal Promoters STOPPED Them Early

6. Kurt Angle vs. Daniel Puder (SmackDown)

In maybe the most memorable real-life fight in modern WWE history, what was supposed to be a simple angle on SmackDown turned into a legitimate shoot between ‘The Wrestling Machine’ Kurt Angle and mixed martial artist Daniel Puder in 2004.

Angle was challenging Tough Enough rookies to step up and try and take him down in a segment on SmackDown, and quickly pined Tough Enough competitor Chris Nawrocki. Not finished, Angle asked any of the others to step up, with Puder accepting the challenge. Angle initially took down Puder but consequently Puder was able to masterfully lock in the kimura lock, with Angle being in grave danger of tapping and/or having his arm broken, which would have been a nightmare for WWE if Puder made their main event attraction Kurt Angle quickly tap out or Puder broke his arm and Angle had to take a lengthy sabbatical off the road because of it.

As soon as Puder got Angle in the kimura lock, panic ensued backstage, with it being reported Gerald Brisco instructed the ref to count a fast pin on Puder even though both his shoulders weren’t on the mat and end the match. The whole angle was ill-conceived, with this and the Brawl for All tournament in 1998 being key evidence that WWE should never participate in shoot angles.