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Exclusive Details You Won't Find Anywhere Else!

Daniel Puder, who is presently signed to an Mixed Martial Arts contract with the San Jose, California based Strikeforce promotion, will soon start appearing for the Ring of Honor professional wrestling promotion, starting with their December 29 and 30th shows in New York City.
 
Puder, the only $1,000,000 Tough Enough Champion in World Wrestling Entertainment history, certainly had a brief but colorful career in the world of professional wrestling. He entered the 4th Tough Enough competition in 2004, with the winner promised a 4 year, $250k per year contract with WWE. Of course, WWE billed the contest as "The Million Dollar Tough Enough," even though they could (and lo and behold, actually did) release the winner after just one year of service to the company.
 
The Million Dollar Tough Enough didn't have it's own show, it was a showcased part of the Smackdown program, with Puder, reality show star Mike "The Miz" Mizanin (now on ECW and Smackdown), Justice Smith, Nick Mitchell (formerly of The Spirit Squad, and currently living with Torrie Wilson in Houston, Texas), Daniel Rodimer, Chris Nawrocki,  and Ryan Reeves competing for the contract.
 
In one of the early competitions, the contestants were going to get the chance to "shoot" (or "freestyle" real wrestling) with a WWE superstar. WWE officials decided to put the chosen athlete against Kurt Angle, the Olympic Gold Medalist, and perhaps the best pure wrestler on the planet. To ensure a quick victory for Angle, the contestants spent their day eating a large meal, then put in a squat thrust competition that was supposed to weigh them down and tire them out.
 
Angle was to "shoot wrestle" the winner of the squat thrust competition, a young man named Chris Nawrocki. Angle made quick work of the tired and worn down Tough Enough competitor, but then decided to show his own personality. Angle berated the others, and challenged any of them to get into the ring with him. Puder, with prior MMA and kickboxing experience, raised his hand and accepted the challenge. Angle was clearly not ready for a "game" competitor. Angle likes to point out he was suffering the effects of a broken neck at the time, but there's no denying that on that night in St. Louis, Missouri, Daniel Puder immediately locked Kurt Angle in a Kimura and had Angle at the point of tapping. Angle flipped them both on their backs, while Puder kept Angle locked in the hold.
 
There is much discussion about what happened at that moment. Several people who were in WWE's "Gorilla Position" (where Vince McMahon and the producers of the segment, along with writers and those "on deck" sit) say there was panic. There are reports that Gerald Brisco, who gives instructions to the referees (who wear ear pieces for communication) told the ref to "count." Others say the order came from Vince McMahon himself. The ref counted Puder down, even though it was obvious Puder's shoulders were not down. Afterwards, Angle and Puder shook hands, with Angle actually lecturing Puder about what was considered the code amongst sports entertainers and how they're not here to hurt each other, just to make money with each other.
 
Several people have stated there were two people with diametric views of the incident. Kurt Angle was furious, having been shown up by an unknown, and Smackdown writer Paul Heyman (better known as the creative guru behind the original ECW cult phenomenon) was telling everyone in site that a star was born. Puder went on to win the contest by beating a surprisingly-tough Mizanin in a boxing contest.
 
Based on the premise of an unknown coming out of nowhere to become a star at the expense of an established main eventer, Heyman proposed "The Angle Invitational" to Kurt Angle. Basically, Heyman went to Angle and pitched him on the idea of what is called a "squash match," in which the dominating wrestler has a non-competitive "show off" (or "enhancement") match every week on television instead of the competitive main events that Kurt was, according to many, burning himself out with. Heyman was said to have pitched the idea that The Invitational would become a big event, and then they'd make a brand new superstar by someone surprising Angle by upsetting him.
 
According to several, Heyman wanted Angle to buzz through all competition, with a few close calls, until a planned Smackdown taping in San Jose, California, where Puder, in his own hometown, would have the crowd solidly behind him as he upset Angle, and a new star would be created.
 
But Puder was universally hated in WWE, and Heyman was sent home in December, 2004 after one of his many blowups with the McMahon family. Puder was the victim of a legendary hazing, in which he was entered into the 2005 Royal Rumble, and then "chopped" by Chris Benoit and Hardcore Holly before being eliminated.
 
Puder was sent to WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), where he was supposed to be taught and developed, but instead was benched by OVW lead writer Jim Cornette. At the same time, future WWE superstar Ken Anderson (now "Mr. Kennedy") got assigned to OVW, and was also benched by the legendary former manager (and present TNA "authority figure").
 
Cornette was ultimately fired by WWE after a series of incidents, and was replaced by the exiled Paul Heyman. With Puder's contract coming due in a few months, Heyman, an acknowledged Puder Fan, becoming the lead writer for the OVW television show was the best news possible for Puder. Heyman changed everything in Ohio Valley. He split long-time tag team favorites The Thrillseekers,  turning Johnny Jeter heel on Matt Cappotelli, who Heyman was grooming for the OVW Title. He immediately put Puder on television on television with a series of 10 to 30 second squash matches, with Anderson (Kennedy) doing the introductions, including the now-famous repetition of the last name.
 
Puder was getting a star reaction, and looked to be a breakout star, but it didn't matter to WWE management. Puder was given his notice, and $750,000 of his $1,000,000 contract looked to be safe and sound in the WWE coffers instead of in Puder's bank account.
 
Puder returned to Northern California, and started training for MMA again. He appeared for Strikeforce on March 10, 2006, and forced Jesse Fujarcyk to tap out to a rear naked choke at 1:54 in the 1st round.
 
Though he also appeared for BoDog in Costa Rica, Puder has been a Strikeforce competitor ever since, and has compiled a 6-0 MMA record in the heavyweight weight class. Though his critics claim he's been very smart in his choice of opponents, Puder has amassed quite a following. He has put together a group of ring card and calendar girls called "Puder's Knockouts," and has started his own magazine entitled "Puder Magazine." While these vanity projects may be considered a distraction for Puder, it's hard to argue with his undefeated record.
 
Now Puder wants to be a star in both the MMA and pro wrestling worlds. He is joining DVD-cult favorite Ring of Honor, being brought in as a "shooter" (real-wrestler), an "outsider" in the world of scripted pro wrestling. The head writer (called "booker" outside WWE) for Ring of Honor is known as one of the best in the business, internet favorite Gabe Sapolsky, who is, ironically, a protege of Paul Heyman's, having worked as Heyman's assistant in the Original ECW.  Puder will no doubt play off his incident with Kurt Angle in ROH, and as long as he can display his arrogance in his interviews, will no doubt appear as a big star in the promotion.  And at the same time, Puder is a contracted fighter with Strikeforce, which appears to be ready to become a major player in MMA in the year 2008. For Daniel Puder, it may have taken some time, but it's the best of both worlds.