There have been a lot of classic rivalries across WWE history, with many major names battling in defining feuds that would revolutionize wrestling and carry the company through certain eras. One rivalry that was hugely significant and successful, was the CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy feud in 2009, but for whatever reason, it isn’t often talked about in the same breath as other classics, even though it almost definitely should be.

CM Punk Cashed In To Ruin Hardy’s Climb To The Top

At Extreme Rules 2009, Jeff Hardy was looking to once again climb the ranks to become a World Champion, after his first reign with the WWE Championship was cut short at that year’s Royal Rumble event. He battled long-time rival Edge in one of the more underrated ladder matches of all time, where the pair put on a clinic. This led to Hardy winning the World Heavyweight Championship, and the fans rejoiced… but only for a few moments.

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CM Punk would make his entrance, Money in the Bank briefcase in hand, and cash in his contract on Hardy. Both men were faces at that moment, but Punk’s expression showed a lack of care for Hardy, although he didn’t technically do anything wrong by cashing in. Usually, when a cash-in occurs, the crowd goes crazy, but here, the audience was quiet, apprehensive, and terrified that their hero, Jeff Hardy, was about to lose the title just as quickly as he won it. Hardy would initially kick out of whatever Punk threw at him but couldn’t last long, as Punk would beat him.

Jeff Hardy, Edge, CM Punk Extreme Rules 2009

Doing something like this, taking away what the fans wanted and destroying Hardy’s dream, was enough for a very natural and gradual heel turn to take place, with Punk displaying more heel traits as the weeks went on, interfering in matches, and changing the way he cut promos. The true moment in which his heel turn was cemented was during Hardy’s rematch at the following PPV, The Bash. After a false finish in which the referee didn’t realize Punk’s foot was under the rope, the champion saw red and kicked the referee to cause a DQ to protect his title in an act of desperation. Punk would try and justify this by claiming he had an eye injury and couldn’t see who he was kicking.

CM Punk Turned Heel, Taking His Character To The Next Level

The excuses and the actions were all part of a slow burn turn, but following these tactics to save his belt, it was finally time for him to turn on the people. Their next match came at the Night of Champions PPV, and in a shocking turn of events, Hardy managed to win the belt, with Punk unable to cheat his way to victory. The dynamic between both men was great, with Punk changing his ring style as a heel, and it perfectly meshed with the style Hardy wrestled. The pair would main event that show over the WWE Title match, which featured Triple H, John Cena, and Randy Orton, which was hugely significant.

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CM Punk Jeff Hardy WWE Promo

In the lead-up to their next encounter, tension began to rise. Punk, with his straight-edge lifestyle, would make things personal, insulting both Hardy and the fans for bad habits and addictions, bringing up Hardy’s real-life issues to play mind games. With Punk genuinely being straight edge, it made his points feel more authentic and his own, and having a villain who genuinely believes what they’re saying always makes for a more successful storyline. Hardy had faults, but overcoming those and being an underdog, made him the perfect foe to Punk, with fans able to relate and see his struggles and to support him.

Hardy & Punk Put On Fantastic Matches With Great Stories

Their next match came in the main event of Summerslam in an all-time classic TLC match, which Punk would win, quickly followed by a Steel Cage match which would mark Hardy’s last match with the company before leaving. Usually flip-flopping of world titles lessens their importance, as shown by Orton and Cena during that same period, but when it came to Hardy and Punk, they were two new names to the main event scene, and with their incredible storyline, every title change felt important, showing that if done right, short title reigns aren’t always bad.

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CM Punk hits a suicide dive to Jeff Hardy Cropped

The pair carried Smackdown throughout these months, even taking the main event spot from the bigger stars due to how many fans were invested in their saga. If Hardy hadn’t left, WWE would have no doubt continued to revisit their feud for years to come, and it may even be talked about as being one of the historic feuds such as Austin and The Rock. With rumors circulating that Hardy may be joining Punk in AEW, there is still a chance that the pair could come face-to-face at some point in the future.