7 Superstars who hurt other wrestlers for real
Pro wrestling is a complex sport. The results are pre-determined and the responsibility to carry each other in a safe manner falls upon the wrestlers in the ring.
This doesn't always happen though. There have been a string of instances in the history of professional wrestling when a wrestler hurt another wrestler for real in the middle of the ring.
Let's take a look at 7 instances of a wrestling match turning into a shoot.
#7 Daniel Puder vs Kurt Angle
Daniel Puder was the winner of Tough Enough 2005. In a segment on an episode of SmackDown, Puder locked in a Kimura Lock on Kurt Angle for real. The referee quickly realized the graveness of the situation and set up a fake pin, even though Puder's hands were not touching the mat.
After Angle got up, he looked visibly furious and seemed to have said something to Puder. The Tough Enough winner went on to feature in the Royal Rumble match and was brutally slapped on the chest by Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Hardcore Holly as punishment for his actions on SmackDown. Puder was immediately fired from WWE after the incident. His stupidity in the ring against someone of Angle's stature got him blackballed out of WWE for good.
Puder hailed from an MMA background before his 'Tough Enough' stint with the WWE, which Kurt Angle failed to realize. The Olympic gold medallist was caught unaware of Puder's ability and almost ended up paying the price.
The runner-up, Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, went on to become one of the most decorated WWE Superstars in recent history, and main evented WrestleMania 27 against John Cena.
#6 Ryback vs CM Punk
After Punk left WWE in 2014, he went on to appear on Colt Cabana's "Art of Wrestling" podcast. Punk made some shocking revelations during the chat, shedding light on the backstage ongoings in WWE.
Punk mentioned how Ryback was a dangerous worker and he deliberately hurt Punk during one of their matches, dropping him on concrete when he was supposed to drop him on a table.
Ryback was allegedly known for having a huge ego backstage and was released from the company after jobbing to Kalisto on the pre-show of WrestleMania 32. After his exit from the company, Ryback bashed WWE and its employees on multiple occasions on his podcast. "Conversations with the Big Guy".
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