Ranking All 29 WWE SummerSlam Main Events Ever
5. CM Punk Vs. Jeff Hardy (2009)
Sometimes when art imitates life, it makes for
compelling art. Such is the case with the 2009 feud between the
sometimes-troubled Jeff Hardy and the Straight Edge Superstar, CM Punk. The two
men’s personal stories meshed perfectly for a tale of the conflict between a
hero who has succumbed to vices before and a drug-free villain who is only too
gleeful to point out the hero’s failings.
Punk and Hardy traded the World Heavyweight Championship back and forth between them several times during the summer of 2009, with Punk cashing in his second Money in the Bank briefcase in June, only for Hardy to win the belt back in July. Punk would recapture the gold at SummerSlam in a TLC match that showcased the best the two men had to offer. Hardy hit a Swanton Bomb off a 15-foot ladder, putting Punk through the ECW announcers’ table, but Punk was able to climb the ladder for the win.
Really, the end result was never in doubt, as Hardy
was leaving WWE. But the two let it all hang out for the fans. Unfortunately
for Punk, Undertaker would return to chokeslam the Second City Savior, paving
the way for a new title feud that Punk would ultimately lose.