10 Signs Your Favourite Wrestler Was Turning Heel

5. CM Punk Cashes In Again

Cody heel
WWE.com

There was nothing inherently heelish about what CM Punk perpetrated at the climax of Extreme Rules 2009. Or not until there was, anyway.

Arriving, Money In The Bank briefcase in hand, following Jeff Hardy's gripping World Heavyweight Championship battle with Edge, the 'Straight Edge Superstar' wasn't exactly pulling off the "heist of the century" in using an opportunity he'd fought hard for earlier that year. But he was leaning in to the fundamentally villainous nature of a cash-in, one year on from doing something similar that didn't really stick as a babyface.

Indeed, the case was being held by burned fingers, and Punk wasn't prepared to suffer fools second time around. Battering a gutsy Hardy and taking few chances in the process, the former Champion reclaimed his prize with a wry, uncompromising smile. Already, he was glorifying his fairly easy shift at the expense of a beloved star, and his devious nature would only show itself further in the weeks to come.

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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett