11 WWE Rivalries That Defined The 2000s

10. CM Punk Vs. Jeff Hardy

CM Punk had a sketchy first few years in WWE. He was treated as a big deal on ECW thanks to the efforts of Punk supporter Paul Heyman, but he still had his critics on the main roster and was never treated like a top guy when he won the World Heavyweight Championship by cashing-in on Edge on the June 30th, 2008 Raw.

He was a midcard guy playing second to fiddle to 'real stars' like Triple H, Batista and John Cena. His first reign as champ came to a frustrating end and he went right back down to the midcard. It had to be demoralising, but his second bite of the World Heavyweight Title cherry was much more rewarding, thanks in large part to his feud with Jeff Hardy.

When Punk cashed-in on the ultra-over Charismatic Enigma at Extreme Rules 2009, it could only mean one thing: a heel turn was on the way. Punk did embrace his dark side for the first time in his three-year WWE career and results were staggering. Oozing confidence and delivering some of the best promo work seen in a long time, he came across as a real star.

Their grudge was grounded in reality, as the Straight-Edge Punk took umbrage with Hardy's lifestyle, specifically referencing his past struggles with substance abuse and Wellness Policy violations. Jeff was the perfect babyface, taking responsibility for previous slip-ups while taking offence to Punk's self-righteous tone.

Their segment work was wonderful and they had some cracking matches together, too, particularly their TLC clash at SummerSlam. Jeff would be gone from the company not long after, but it was this feud that established Punk as a top guy.