10 Things WWE Regrets About Extreme Rules
4. CM Punk Closing Out The First Show
It was the 2009 edition of the now-annual Extreme Rules PPV where WWE decided to move away from the One Night Stand name that they’d implemented for the company’s ECW-driven specials.
After two annual One Night Stands designed to showcase ECW talent of old and new, the 2007 and 2008 One Night Stands were entirely WWE productions. Hence, by ’09, the spot on the calendar held by One Night Stand was switched up to be Extreme Rules. But how did the first ever edition of this long-lasting WWE PPV go off the air? Why, that was with CM Punk standing tall.
We all know how WWE loves nothing better than to revisit the company’s history as each annual PPV comes around – the promotion is always keen to put together highlight packages detailing the origins of said PPV. Should WWE wish to do that with their Extreme Rules show, there has to be some footage or at least a mention of the PPV ending with CM Punk successfully cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase to take Jeff Hardy’s WWE Championship.
Considering that WWE has done all it can to neither show nor mention Punk since the Straight-Edge Superstar departed the company in 2014, WWE must be kicking themselves that they had the Second City Saint in such a prominent role on the first ever Extreme Rules PPV.