Ranking The Biggest Rivalries In Wrestling Every Year 1990-2020

12. 2009 - Jeff Hardy Vs CM Punk

Jeff Hardy CM Punk
WWE

A lean year for exciting programmes begat a sleeper hit on SmackDown as CM Punk's heel turn became as much about righting a World Championship wrong as it was shaming Jeff Hardy for his life choices.

With all the beats of an epic squashed into a traditional WWE summer series, the pair traded the blue brand's top prize before two gripping send-off matches for the 'Charismatic Enigma' at SummerSlam and a follow-up SmackDown.

Both were elevated if neither saw the benefit of it in the company in the immediate aftermath. Hardy looked 50 times the wrestlers but found himself facing major legal troubles and a make-good TNA run in 2010, while Punk was knocked off his earned Superstar pedastal by The Undertaker following some petty punishment booking.

 
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Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 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. Within the podcasting space, he also co-hosts Benno & Hamflett, In Your House! and Podcast Horseman: The BoJack Horseman Podcast. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, Fightful, POST Wrestling, 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