The phrase ‘Summer of Punk’ is something which has become synonymous with CM Punk, with that term being brought up again just recently when he emerged victorious over “Hangman” Adam Page at AEW’s Double or Nothing PPV to become AEW World Champion. Whilst an injury has derailed his title reign, many believed that this would be yet another Summer of Punk, in which he reigned supreme over yet another company during the summer months as their top champion. This has happened numerous times over the years, but an overlooked summer of success was in 2009, when Punk feuded with Jeff Hardy.
2005 And 2011 Were Both Branded As Having The ‘Summer Of Punk’
The first Summer Of Punk came all the way back in 2005, when Punk reigned as the ROH Champion. Over the course of this period, it was made public that Punk had one foot out the door, and was set on signing with WWE, leaving the ROH Championship in a state of jeopardy. During this time, Punk was an incredible heel, with unbelievable character work and even better matches, wrestling the likes of Samoa Joe, Christopher Daniels, and Colt Cabana in classics. ROH would even get the likes of Mick Foley involved in his dominance over the summer.
The most notable Summer of Punk came in 2011, when he once again was set on leaving a company. His anti-authority sentiment and willingness to say whatever he wanted garnered a lot of praise and support, turning him into the most over star on the roster. At Money in the Bank 2011, he wrestled John Cena in one of the greatest WWE matches of all time, winning the WWE Championship and reigning over the summer months once again as the most talked about name in wrestling. In the end, Punk’s time on top was ruined by awful booking, which makes it questionable as to why this is referenced to as the major Summer of Punk, especially since 2009 did a much better job overall.
CM Punk Vs Jeff Hardy Was The Hottest WWE Feud Of 2009
In the lead up to the summer, CM Punk was once again Mr. Money in the Bank, and he cashed in on Jeff Hardy to become World Heavyweight Champion. There was some slight skepticism behind this decision, especially since his MITB run and eventual title reign the year prior didn’t go too well. However, it was clear early on that his was a different Punk, with him targeting the biggest babyface on SmackDown at the time.
Over the next month, Punk began to display signs of a heel turn. His personality gradually changed to someone more entitled, cocky, and uncaring of what the audience thought of him. He would cheat to win, doing everything he could to keep hold of the World Heavyweight Title, whilst also berating Jeff Hardy for his lack of a straight-edge lifestyle and several personal issues over the years. For the first time since joining WWE, Punk’s incredible promo work was evident for all to see. He became the most detestable heel in the company, with he and Hardy even main eventing several PPVs due to how hot their story was, taking the top spot from the likes of John Cena, Triple H, and Randy Orton, which was a rarity at the time.
CM Punk Was Booked Perfectly In The Summer Of 2009
Punk and Hardy battled for several months, with their storyline taking several twists and turns, swapping the Big Gold belt between them, and main eventing three different PPVs, with the biggest of those taking place at SummerSlam. When looking at 2011’s SummerSlam main event, it was plunged into complete disaster with overbooking, with Punk dropping the WWE Championship and becoming an afterthought in the shenanigans which took place. However, in 2009, he would overcome Hardy in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match, winning the contest clean as a whistle, looking like a huge star in the process, even with him being a slimy heel at the time.
Punk would then defeat Hardy in a Steel Cage Match, which led to Hardy’s departure from WWE. Over the next month or so, Punk would feud with The Undertaker, dropping the World Title in the fall. However, as far as the overall summer went, it was far superior and consistent than the one which came two years later. In fact, it is even close in quality to his ROH summer of dominance, which is arguably the best in terms of content alone, even if it wasn’t the most famous. 2009 showed that Punk could hang in the main event scene, and without this, he may not have become the huge star he ended up being in 2011.