5 times WWE stars tried to legitimately hurt their opponents during a match

#3. Daniel Puder vs Kurt Angle (WWE SmackDown, 2004)

The match between Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle and 2004 Tough Enough contestant Daniel Puder has been told many times over the past 15 years. At the time, Angle was seen as a legitimate tough guy in WWE and on an episode of SmackDown, he challenged the Tough Enough contestants to an amateur wrestling match.

After a match which saw Chris Nawrocki's ribs get broken, Daniel Puder stepped in and managed to lock Angle in the Kimura Lock which was somewhat embarrassing for the Olympic Champion. Puder was about to break Angle's arm before the referee thought fast and counted a pin even though Puder's shoulders weren't actually flat on the mat.

This later led to Puder being welcomed to WWE in the roughest of ways at the Royal Rumble the following year. But it also taught the former Champion a lesson, since he underestimated the talent in Tough Enough that year and it could have been embarrassing for him if the referee hadn't acted fast.