WWE's 15 Hottest Stars Of The Summer Since 2001
7. Jeff Hardy - 2009
It was evident to everyone who watched WWE in 2008 that Jeff Hardy was without a doubt the most popular superstar on the roster at that time. That momentum carried over to 2009 when he won the WWE Championship and continued to chase the strap throughout the year.
At Extreme Rules 2009, he finally regained the prestigious prize in a hard-fought ladder match, only to have it taken from him mere minutes later by CM Punk. That kicked off a ruthless rivalry between the two, and as excellent as Punk was in his role as a heel, he had the perfect opponent to work with in Hardy.
In spite of rumors running rampant that Hardy was on his way out of the company, fans remained loyal to The Charismatic Enigma in his pursuit of the world title. When he regained the gold from Punk at Night of Champions, the crowd erupted as they were surprised to see him get one more run prior to his looming departure.
Hardy's summer may not have ended the way he would have wanted when he dropped the title back to Punk at SummerSlam, but he gained more than he lost in doing the honors for The Straight Edge Savior on his way out.