Daniel Puder

Daniel Puder, born on October 9, 1981, first made a name for himself in high school. Puder finished first place in his weight division in the Central Coast Section amateur wrestling. He accomplished this while wrestling with a broken hand. The wrestling mat wasn't the only location where Puder began demonstrating success despite the odds. As a high school student, he began his entrepreneurial career by starting several successful businesses.In the midst of schooling and running his business, Puder's passion for full-contact sports caused him to branch out even more. At age 17, he began serious training as a Mixed-Martial Arts fighter and a professional wrestler.Puder has never been one to settle for average in anything he does. He sought out the tutelage of MMA amateur wrestling legends Frank Shamrock, Brian Johnston, Danny Chaid, and trains at the American Kick Boxing Academy.Whether it's in a business meeting or in the ring, Puder has the same attitude: Succeed. He has MMA competition records of 6-0 (pro) and 20-0 (amateur).Puder gained enormous momentum when he nearly made 1996 Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle tap out on national television.In October 2004, Puder was selected from thousands of applicants to compete in World Wrestling Entertainment's first-ever $1,000,000 Tough Enough Challenge. By out-dueling an already-famous MTV Real World celebrity, Puder won that too. This gave Puder the rights to participate in the WWE's Ohio Valley Wrestling developmental territory. The 6-foot-3, 235-pount Puder brought his training to the next level. He also perfected an unbreakable submission maneuver called the Key Lock, adding to his already powerful arsenal of skills and MMA knowledge. In 2005, he competed in the Royal Rumble, "Just for fun." After a successful 8-month run in OVW, Puder opted not to re-sign with WWE, instead choosing to fully dedicate himself to MMA.Now back in northern California, Puder balances his extreme training schedule with one of his other passions: giving youth the opportunity to excel beyond joining gangs and simply collecting more friends Myspace.He has started his own personal non-profit foundation: Puder Strength Training (PST). PST helps high school athletes pursue their dreams by donating equipment, training, and funds to underprivileged teenagers.Puder also works with Cops Care Cancer Foundation, Toys for Tots, Stanford and San Francisco Hospital, After School All Stars. No matter how busy his schedule is, he never runs out of time for others who need the attention the most.At age 25, Puder already looks to the future. He has Political ambitions and will be serving on several committees during the 2008 presidential campaign. Should all go according to plan, you will see Puder making a difference at the government level as only he can.