Who REALLY Carried WWE Every Year (1985-2026)

18. 2009 (CM Punk)

Cm Punk Jeff Hardy Smackdown 2009
WWE.com

OK, so 2009 was a tough one to thrash out.

Let's go with CM Punk. He bounced back from a mediocre World Title push in 2008 to win the Intercontinental Title from William Regal on the 19 January Raw. After dropping that to JBL, he won Money In The Bank at 'Mania XXV for the second year running, then moved on to an underrated 'Samoan Strap Match' vs. Umaga at Extreme Rules before cashing in MITB to become World Champ again.

Punk turned heel during a subsequent feud with Jeff Hardy. Those dudes traded title wins between Night Of Champions and a rip-roaring TLC bout at SummerSlam, then CM moved on to feud with The Undertaker. That was a leg up on the ladder for him, and it acted as a real test of Punk's mettle as a WWE headliner. If he could thrive vs. 'Taker, then he could thrive vs. anyone.

As a cherry on top, Punk kicked off his new Straight Edge Society stable late in the year. That might've dropped him back down the card just a tad, but it did guarantee ample television time and plenty of minutes on the mic whenever the group appeared in front of the cameras. That continued the hard work Punk had done opposite Hardy to become a better-rounded WWE personality.

He was always engaging no matter what he was doing in '09, and that's why the bold Phil Brooks takes home the year's trophy. Maybe he'll stick it in his fridge next to the WWE Title, eh?

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.