JBL Defends Wrestlers Chopping Daniel Puder At Royal Rumble 2005

On the latest episode of Something To Wrestle With, JBL talked about Daniel Puder getting chopped up during the 2005 Royal Rumble. The incident happened during the match after Puder shot on Kurt Angle on an episode of Smackdown three months earlier.

JBL talked about the stiffing of Purder on the episode and saw it differently than many fans did. You can check out some highlights below:

On the situation:

“It was much to do about nothing. I mean, they beat the s**t out of him, you know/ And he took it. It’s just, is it hazing? Yeah, I guess. Call it whatever you want. Yeah, it’s hazing. It’s a new guy that comes along, the new guy gets beaten up and makes him earn his stripes? Funny, that’s never happened to any sport. That’s what happened here.”

On Puder’s status with WWE:

“He’s making $250,000 a year. He’s making a ton of freaking money. And I think these guys are just saying, ‘Okay, you’re going to earn your money.’ They didn’t beat him up. They chopped him to death. You’re not going to kill a guy by chopping him. Puder’s a tough guy, you know? Puder’s a fighter, he’s an MMA guy. These chops aren’t going to kill him.

“It’s just, you’re roughing a guy up is what you’re doing, having some fun with him, making him earn his living is — to me, is what you’re doing. I think all the guys expected this to happen. It happened. You’re not beating him up, you’re not hurting him. This happened in freaking every single sport. Happens in wrestling, happens all the freaking time. And you know, people that had a problem with it, sorry, just go have your little mint tulip drink, snowflake.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Something To Wrestle With an h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.