10 Best Times WWE Stars Pulled Double Duty

9. CM Punk - Extreme Rules 2009

CM Punk Extreme Rules 2009
WWE.com

Extreme Rules 2009 is perhaps best-remembered today for a phenomenal Jericho/Mysterio match for the IC title, but the show was also instrumental in the early WWE career of CM Punk. Early in the night, Punk wrestled the dearly-departed Samoan Bulldozer Umaga in a Samoan strap match.

Incidentally, if you're wondering what a Samoan strap match is, it's exactly the same as every other variety of strap match you've ever seen. There's nothing uniquely Samoan about them.

I'm no pro wrestling anthropologist, but isn't it interesting that Samoan strap matches are identical to Caribbean strap matches, to say nothing of Russian chain matches or Texas bullrope matches? At least in the latter there's a cowbell flailing around!

Anyway, Punk was tasked with touching all four corners of the ring, which he was able to do despite being attached to 300 pounds of screaming savage violence. Despite this, Punk has enough energy left to return to the ring later on to challenge Jeff Hardy, who had just won the World Heavyweight Championship in a ladder match.

Punk held the Money in the Bank briefcase, you see, and Jeffers had no choice but to acquiesce to Punk's request. Just under two minutes later, CM Punk was a two-time World Champion, and well on his way to reaching his first career peak in WWE: straight-edge super heel.

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Long-time fan (scholar?) of professional wrestling, kaiju films and comparative mythology. Aspiring two-fisted adventurer.