Bodog Fight's Puder Found in Paradise Lost

 

 

 There's always a healthy degree of skepticism when it comes to cross-over athletes. A few have enjoyed

success, like Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Dennis Rodman (or was he a cross-dressing success?),

but remember when Michael Jordan tried his hand at baseball? Yikes.

 

The world of mixed martial arts is no stranger to two-sport athletes, although the best examples have all left

behind their former sports to pursue a full-time career in MMA. Boxers like Tommy Morrison and Ray

Mercer, Olympic wrestlers like Bodog Fight's own Matt Lindland, and pro wrestlers like Brock Lesnar and

Daniel Puder.

 

Daniel Puder

The 25-year-old Puder won World Wrestling Entertainment's first "Tough

Enough Challenge" in 2004, but he drew the ire of Vince McMahon by

straying from the promoter's plan to have the popular Kurt Angle punish

him during a WWE event. Instead, Puder humiliated Angle in front of a

live audience by trapping the former Olympic Gold Medal wrestler in a

"key lock". Angle has vowed revenge ever since.

 

If he wants his reprisal, Angle will have to follow Puder to MMA, but it won't be easy. Puder is undefeated in

four fights heading into his heavyweight bout with Michael Alden on the next episode of Bodog Fight:

Paradise Lost this Tuesday, July 3rd at 11 p.m. / 10 p.m. Central on ION television and in Canada on

The Fight Network.

 

The 23-year-old Alden is also undefeated at 6-0, and is expected to provide Puder with his toughest test to

date. But Puder says his wrestling pedigree has prepared him well for the rigors of MMA.

 

"I think that pro-wrestling toughens you up," he says. "You're falling more, you're being dropped more and

you can get hurt a lot quicker. I've been flash KO'd a few times and I had to keep going in the match."

 

But according to Bodog Fight founder Calvin Ayre, cross-over MMA athletes like Puder are the exception

rather than the rule.

 

"MMA is such a multi-dimentional sport that most cross-over athletes find the transition difficult, so bringing

them into an organization like Bodog Fight requires a different approach," says Ayre. "You have to assess

their progress carefully. Matching them up with appropriate opponents can sometimes be difficult."

 

If Angle does eventually make the jump to MMA, Ayre would have no problem finding him an opponent.

 

"Puder would be the obvious choice, but Kurt would probably want to get a few fights under his belt first,"

says Ayre. "But as a fan, I'd love to see that fight."

 

Can't catch the action on ION (or The Fight Network in Canada)? All episodes of the Bodog Fight series are

available worldwide through streaming video at BodogFight.com, with behind-the-scenes exclusives, fighter

bios and additional footage only available online.

 

About Bodog Fight

Since its inception in 2006, Bodog Fight has become one of the heavy-hitters in the world of mixed martial

arts. Created by billionaire entertainment mogul and longtime MMA enthusiast, Calvin Ayre, Bodog Fight

offers viewers a unique combination of action and allure from exotic locations throughout the world. Bodog

Fight can be viewed in more than 90 million homes across the United States on ION Television and around

the world on Bodog.TV. Some of Bodog Television's other programs include: a poker lifestyle and reality

show, Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker I and II; and a million-dollar indie band search competition, Bodog Battle

(BodogBattle.com). For more information, contact Media Relations at 1-866-892-3371, or press@bodog.tv.

BODOG is a registered trademark of Bodog Entertainment Group.
 

 

- from Bodog Fight with a little editing from us (color, etc...)

 

 

(6/29/07)