“Had to Leave”: CM Punk Name Drops Jeff Hardy in Ariel Helwani Interview Amid WrestleMania XL Return Rumors

Jeff Hardy has been the protagonist of beautiful rivalries throughout his career and, among the favorites of fans, there is certainly the one with CM Punk. The two battled it out for several months, even giving rise to excellent encounters in 2009.

That year, Hardy and CM Punk monopolized the Main Event zone of SmackDown with a feud that addressed Jeff’s alcohol and substance abuse issues and turned CM Punk into one of WWE’s top heels that year. So much was the hate for Punk, that he still faces the backlash for it, as revealed in a recent interview.

CM Punk opens up on the fan hate for decade-old rivalry

In his recent appearance in an interview with Ariel Helwani, CM Punk talked about all things wrestling. And while he talked about the love he receives, he also opened up on the hate. And one match that he still gets hate for was the 2009 match with Jeff Hardy.

After he won the match, Hardy had to leave WWE as per the stipulation. However, according to Punk, there is a section of fans that believe in that Kayfabe and thinks Punk is to be blamed for Hardy’s downfall.

Punk said, “I beat Jeff Hardy and he had to leave the WWE. Like I’ve been such a good bad guy in my career that they think that sh*t carries over into real life. So when they hear stories of Oh he’s super violent backstage ‘of course he is. He you know he’s sang happy birthday to Aaliyah Mysterio’ on you know, like they conflate the thing and that’s the problem again with social media and parasocial relationships and all that other stuff.”

Well, for a newer audience, it would be tough to understand how much hate Punk received and how the WWE created a storyline that blurred the lines of reality and fiction. It was peak WWE storytelling and one that made CM Punk the bad guy that he is today.

The WWE’s biggest feud of 2009

The feud between Jeff Hardy and CM Punk in WWE in 2009 is one that wrestling fans remember most fondly, filled with deep moments and unforgettable matches. The rivalry began on June 7 at Extreme Rules, when Hardy defeated Edge in a ladder match to win the World Heavyweight Championship. But Punk, who had won the Money In The Bank, took the title from him soon after. The feud continued, with ‘The Charismatic Enigma’ winning by disqualification at The Bash and not regaining the title. Later, in the main event of Night of Champions, Jeff Hardy was finally able to get his revenge and regain the world title.

The tensions between the two did not subside. At the SummerSlam that followed, in a TLC match, the two gave life to an unforgettable clash with moments such as the Swanton Bomb from the ladder and the return of The Undertaker after the victory of the Chicago Made. The final act took place on the August 28 episode of SmackDown, with Punk winning a steel cage match and Hardy leaving WWE after the loss.

The feud is remembered above all for how personal it was: the success is mainly due to the strong contrast of the two figures, two characters who bring so much of their lives to the ring: the straightedge against the living in the moment, an ideological clash before wrestling. What did you think of the feud? Was it among your favorites as well? Let us know in the comments.

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