#10 – Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk
SummerSlam 2009
Los Angeles, CA
“I tried so very hard to empathize with all of your weaknesses…”
Before the pipebomb heard ’round the world, before he came to Monday Night Raw, and before the two-year rivalry with John Cena, there was the “Straight-Edge Savior” of WWE Smackdown, CM Punk. His feud with Jeff Hardy took both men to the main event, granting Hardy his only World Championship runs in the company, putting on classic matches, and selling more merch than anybody ever anticipated. This feud was so deeply personal – as they say, art imitates life, and Punk was able to go out there and address drug problems and a history of past transgressions. The man was the most hated guy on television for months, and their TLC match at SummerSlam was the culmination of a summer of back-and-forth mayhem.
A bit of irony, in his post-SummmerSlam promo you can see below, Punk states “I certainly won’t ever skip a WrestleMania because I failed a test. Unlike Jeff, I’m built to last, and I am here to stay.”
Don’t worry, this isn’t the last time we’ll see either guy on this list…
