Another Tough Enough Winner Released

[SuperJerk 0]

In a cost-cutting measure, World Wrestling Entertainment is letting go of yet another wrestler from the "Tough Enough" contests. They released the bountiful Nidia back in November, co-winner of the first Tough Enough. Tough Enough 2 co-winner Linda Miles (Shaniqua) was released shortly there after, mostly due to attitude problems. The sultry Jackie Gayda was released in early-July along with her husband in a shocking move. And WWE finally gave up on the poster boy of Tough Enough as Maven was released in July as well. The latest Tough Enough castoff to be let go is none other than Tough Enough 2004 winner Daniel Puder.

 

Puder being let go is a salary issue and he wasn't even making as much as some people thought he was. He had a $250,000, 4-year contract with WWE, so it could have been $250,000 over four years, not per year. Only the first year was guaranteed though. It was advertised as a $1 million dollar, 4-year contract by WWE when they made the contest, however, it is public fraud on WWE's part and they can get it away it too with the fine print in the contracts they have the participants sign. So when it's all said and done, Puder made between $50,000 and $75,000 for his one year under WWE contract. In comparision, Ashley Massaro will make $250,000 for her first year with WWE.

 

Despite Puder's 5-digit salary, WWE still deemed it too pricey and so thus they are letting him go, and with 90 days to spare to coincide with the end of his one year guarantee with WWE, which expires in December. Puder has the option of accepting a developmental contract and transfering to the Georgia developmental promotion, however, he'll only make $750 a week. That's the same deal Tough Enough losers Ryan Reeves, Nick Mitchell and Mike Mizanin have. He has not yet made a decision on whether to accept the developmental deal or not as of last word, so there is a possibilty he may stick around to train in the WWE minor leagues, but it's not likely.

 

Puder was really, really close to being a part of the group of the 20 unfortunate talents to be let go by WWE back in July, but Paul Heyman, Tommy Dreamer and Danny Davis stuck up for him by saying that he wasn't given enough time and that he was working hard on improving. He stuck around in OVW this past summer, but WWE has finally decided to just pull the plug on him and let him go. He may tryout for the next UFC "Ultimate Fighter" competition.

 

http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2005_/arti.../1126414026.php

[EricMM 0]

That REALLY makes a mockery of their whole "1 million dollar" prize...

[ChrisMWaters 0]

They can easily balance out the remainder of the million...

 

By giving him the real version of THIS!

 

[AnonymousBroccoli 0]

He may tryout for the next UFC "Ultimate Fighter" competition.

Given the Angle situation, and the budding rivalry between the companies, that might be a decent move on UFC's part.

[Fökai 0]

Puder has the option of accepting a developmental contract and transfering to the Georgia developmental promotion, however, he'll only make $750 a week.

 

$750 a week is still a $36K annual contract, which is alot when you're not touring all over the country and paying menial expenses (rental car, hotel room, etc).

 

As for the TE contract, everything was up front. When the participants signed, they knew only the first year was guaranteed. I highly doubt that the contract was fraudulent; I'd guess that the contract was heavily back-ended so that he'd have to impress them to get to that fourth year and get the entire million. The only reason I'm not complaining about that is because it's done all the time in the NFL.

[Fro 0]

Very lame if true (I don't trust Lords of Paste). Puder's got a great thing going on in OVW right now. Can't understand why they'd want to get him away from Heyman. Probably is some blowback from the UFC/WWE feud at work here.

[Fökai 0]

Can't understand why they'd want to get him away from Heyman

 

Good point. Hmm, I guess they're either going to move Kennedy up to Titan full-time, or going to have to acknowledge Puder's release (the two are allies in OVW).

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

This would probably be the "highly paid worker cut from his WWE contract" mentioned in the Observer preview. Since I won't get mine until Monday or Tuesday I'm sure someone that received their issue by now can confirm.

[Guest nokia]

I got the observer newsletter on friday, and MELTZER had the scoop of this update...

 

lordsofpain just stole his story and didn't credit him !

[Youth N Asia 0]

I just love reading this, then looking at the pic of Vince on the bottom of the post.

[Guest deinly1]

This really sucks, I met Daniel Puder at UFC53 in A.C. and he was pretty cool actually telling me about the contract being split over 4 years and all. A few other tidbits from the conversation: he's good friends with Paul Buentello who won that nite and is challenging Arlovski for the HW title this month. Also I had to ask him about the time he put the armbar on Kurt- he confirmed it was a shoot and Kurt never spoke to him about it backstage, in addition, Big Show pushed him so hard he thought he broke his spine on the locker, that was also a shoot. When I asked Daniel when he would be joining the bigs from ovw , he wouldnt give me a timeline- probably aware they were thinkin of cutting him. All in all I liked the guy (who btw is pretty impressively sized in person) he's jacked but doesnt look like a juicer. I was lookin forward to seeing him compete, especially with the ready-made shoot feud he would have had with Angle. I can only hope he opts to stay in ovw for less money.

[Guest Biggles]

I saw some of his OVW stuff, and I have to say I liked it. WWE really dropped the ball on this one, he had the look and the attitude (look at the last OVW show) to work.

[Precious Roy 0]

Ok, there's no way they can justify another TE contest now, right?

[Masked Man of Mystery 0]

maybe he can go to TNA and feud with Haas when he presumably joins

[cynicalprofit 0]

They cut a guy who stood toe-to-toe with Angle, got over, won their competition, and who has talent...wow BRILLIANT.

[EricMM 0]

So after three months he can go to TNA, right?

[Guest *KNK*]

He'd be better off trying out the TUF route rather then TNA.

[Guest Brian]

Puder's a heavyweight. They won't have another TUF with heavyweights for a year and half at least. He's much better off just getting a contract and coming in with some hype. "The Man Who Tapped Kurt Angle".

[cabbageboy 0]

I don't get this move at all. In fact just last night I saw Puder on OVW get a #1 contender win over Ken Kennedy.

 

That said, Puder's schtick won't work if it centers around some vague Angle incident during the Tough Enough contest. Few people probably even remember or care.

[Gert T 0]

I don't get this move at all.  In fact just last night I saw Puder on OVW get a #1 contender win over Ken Kennedy.

 

That said, Puder's schtick won't work if it centers around some vague Angle incident during the Tough Enough contest.  Few people probably even remember or care.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Who's Dan Puder?

[cameron chaos 0]

Puder could cut to LHW if he wanted.

 

It's a shame when an actual talented grappler trying his best to learn pro wrestling gets cut while Maria, Torrie, Candice, Stacy, Christy and the new waste of space Lita-a-like, who do little more than pose now and then and wrestle incredibly shitty matches when they do step in the ring, continue to earn 6 figures.

[SuperJerk 0]

I got the observer newsletter on friday, and MELTZER had the scoop of this update...

 

lordsofpain just stole his story and didn't credit him !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They credited the Observer, I just didn't include the credit in my paste.

[Guest Brian]

Puder could cut to LHW if he wanted.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Doesn't he walk around at 235, 240? He doesn't look like he can cut that much IIRC. Either way, the UFC could use another heavy or LHW.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

They cut a guy who stood toe-to-toe with Angle, got over, won their competition, and who has talent...wow BRILLIANT.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Feel free to share an example of his "talent" with the rest of us.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Man, that really sucks. We never did see him again after the Rumble this year.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Holy shit you people are fucked. Why does it suck? The kid showed NOTHING in the way of character and got over because he caught Angle in a kimura. Simple as that.

[cameron chaos 0]

Puder could cut to LHW if he wanted.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Doesn't he walk around at 235, 240? He doesn't look like he can cut that much IIRC. Either way, the UFC could use another heavy or LHW.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

At HW he would he would likely get mauled and since his training parter Buentello has the AKA HW spot right now he'd have a problem finding room. If he dropped the weights a bit, did more bodyweight and cardio exercises and got down to 220 he could easily cut to 205. Hell, if Hughes cuts from 195 to 170 Puder should be able to drop weight also. Given that Randy doesn't have too many matches left in him, Tito is gone and Vitor is in PRIDE, he could fit in quite easily.

[Epic Reine 0]

Wow, waste 2 months and precious airtime for a contest and never even use the winner. BRILLIANCE!

[Precious Roy 0]

I can't believe anyone actually watched those tough enough segments....

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Puder could cut to LHW if he wanted.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Doesn't he walk around at 235, 240? He doesn't look like he can cut that much IIRC. Either way, the UFC could use another heavy or LHW.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

At HW he would he would likely get mauled and since his training parter Buentello has the AKA HW spot right now he'd have a problem finding room. If he dropped the weights a bit, did more bodyweight and cardio exercises and got down to 220 he could easily cut to 205. Hell, if Hughes cuts from 195 to 170 Puder should be able to drop weight also. Given that Randy doesn't have too many matches left in him, Tito is gone and Vitor is in PRIDE, he could fit in quite easily.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Feed him to Pitbull after Buentello gets his ass stomped to high heaven. Say that he's defending his partners honour or something.