10 Best WWE SmackDown Cliffhanger Endings Ever
10. CM Punk Forces Jeff Hardy Out Of WWE? (28 August 2009)
The summer of 2009 wasn't quite the 'Summer Of Punk' (that'd be 2011), but it did allow the once-proud babyface to become a tattooed menace plaguing the popular Jeff Hardy. Throughout that summer, Punk became a preachy pain in the ass for Hardy, and their feud became one of the year's most memorable as a result.
On 28 August, Punk seemingly sent Jeff packing for good after beating him inside the confines of a steel cage.
Afterwards, Hardy cut an emotional speech thanking fans for their support and hinted that he needed to go off and find himself. In reality, Jeff's substance abuse issues were becoming more problematic, and he was looking for some time off the road anyway. Fans didn't know that when Punk returned to cut Hardy's farewell short and belt him with the World Heavyweight Title on the stage.
The cliffhanger here was whether or not Jeff would return to seek retribution or not. In the end, he didn't. Most casual viewers didn't know that at the time though, and so Punk's dirtbag attack from behind on Hardy acted as a great 'what's next?' moment.