SummerSlam Recall, Match #7: Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk, SummerSlam 2009

​By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Here on SummerSlam Recall, I will be ranking my top 20 favorite matches in WWE SummerSlam history. A new installment will be posted every day leading up to SummerSlam 2016, culminating with my No. 1 favorite match on Saturday, August 20th. Each article will offer an in-depth look at each match and an analysis of why it is among my favorites.​

Although I have fond memories of watching wrestling in 2009, by and large, it wasn't a great year on the whole for WWE. Other than Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, WrestleMania 25 was largely a disappointment, and the rest of Raw's year consisted of the same old tired matchups: John Cena vs. Randy Orton, Cena vs. Triple H, and HHH vs. Orton. Rinse and repeat. On the SmackDown side, things started to heat up at the onset of the summer when Jeff Hardy and CM Punk kicked off their storied rivalry for the World Heavyweight Championship.

​If there was any one feud (sans HBK vs. 'Taker) that was the saving grace of 2009 for WWE, it was Punk vs. Hardy. Because the storytelling, the matches, the pacing of the program, and the character development of both men were exceptional. Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase on a drained Hardy at Extreme Rules to win the world title for a second time, but unlike the year prior, fans criticized the Second City Saint for blindsiding one of their heroes.

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Punk dodged Hardy at every turn, retaining his title at all costs until finally Hardy was successful in usurping Punk to win his third world title at the Night of Champions. What was interesting about that development was that it had long been rumored Hardy's contract with WWE was nearing its end and he was on his way out of the company to heal various injuries. Thus, no one expected him to regain the gold at any point during the rivalry, so it threw fans for a loop when he beat Punk for the belt at the event.

But their feud was far from over. Since Punk had his rematch clause, he chose to cash it in at SummerSlam in a match Hardy was oh so familiar with: a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match. Mind you, this was mere months before the celebrated stipulation was given its own event on the pay-per-view calendar, so at this point, TLC matches were still a pretty big deal whenever they were held, and thus there was no more fitting matchup for their ruthless rivalry to culminate in.

It might have been Hardy's specialty, having competed in five of the seven TLC matches by then, but Punk was no stranger to ladders himself, having won the Money in the Bank Ladder match back-to-back years at WrestleMania. Needless to say, both men thrived in the environment and worked extraordinarily well together. What I loved about their series of matches was that every one was better than the last and this epic encounter was no exception.

You could sense the animosity between the two from the get-go, with neither man wasting time in battering the other with steel structures and wooden tables. The match was nothing short of a demolition derby as Punk suplexed Hardy on top of a ladder only for The Charismatic Enigma to attempt the one thing no one thought he would: a Swanton Bomb off the top of a 20 foot high ladder through a commentary table at ringside. And what a hell of a visual it was.

The irony of the awe-inspiring, death-defying maneuver was that instead of it leading Hardy to victory, it cost him the championship. Although Punk was on the receiving end of the Swanton, Hardy took the brunt of the impact, and before he could ascend the ladder to reclaim his precious prize, Punk shoved him off the top to take the title for himself. It was an excellent ending to an amazing match that ended Hardy's second stint with the company on a high note... literally. 


SEE ALSO: "SummerSlam Recall, Match #8: Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels, SummerSlam 2002"