10 PG Wrestling Feuds That Felt Like The Attitude Era

4. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk

CM Punk had always been a natural villain based off his work on the independent scene, but to WWE fans, this arrogant, holier-than-thou attitude was a side of him that they had never seen before. Moreover, the ever-so-popular Jeff Hardy was the perfect babyface foil for him, especially given their drastic differences in lifestyles which they were thankfully allowed to play off of. Although the two started out as unlikely allies, their respect for one another slowly deteriorated to mutual disdain. Punk took pleasure in taking shots at Hardy's drug-related background, crossing boundaries that blurred lines between kayfabe and reality. Their matches being as excellent as they were was only a bonus. Bringing up someone's dark past can be seen as tasteless at times, but when done properly, it can only add to a feud and make it feel that much more real. Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock were the John Cenas and Triple Hs of the Attitude Era: they were almost always at the top of the card. That was the same situation with Punk and Hardy who took the ball and ran with it on the SmackDown brand, which had often been seen as the second-tier brand. Adding that realism into the mix along with the intensity from both competitors made it compelling content every single week.