10 Best WWE SmackDown Cliffhanger Endings Ever

10. CM Punk Forces Jeff Hardy Out Of WWE? (28 August 2009)

Jeff Hardy 2009
WWE.com

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.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.