Which feud solidified The Straight Edge Savior as a true main eventer?

[Disturbed]

This is the second edition of the series. I am spacing them out, that way they don't get old and take up a lot of time. The first edition was Randy Orton and there were some different reactions on him. However this is not about the Viper, this is about CM Punk. In your opinion which feud solidified CM Punk as a true main eventer?

Whenever I thought of CM Punk going into the main event, I didn't think of his first World title reign in 08. I thought about his feud during his second World title reign.

CM Punk vs Jeff Hardy​

At Extreme Rules 09, Edge was defending his World Title against Jeff Hardy in a ladder match. These two had never met in a one on one ladder match before but they pulled out all the stops and put on a memorable performance. Jeff Hardy got the win to capture his first World Title. (He had one the WWE Championship once before, but never the World Heavyweight Championship.) The celebration was short-live because CM Punk came out and cashed in his money in the bank in which he won at Wrestlemania 25 earlier that year. CM Punk beat him and became a two time Straight Edge World Heavyweight Champion. Punk really wasn't over yet and didn't get very much heat after cashing in that night. He defended the World Title sucessfully on Raw one week later, in a triple threat match against Edge and Jeff Hardy. Later on in the month Punk retained his World title against Jeff Hardy at The Bash. Hardy actually won the match by DQ because Hardy elbowed Punk in the eye and Punk faked an eye injury, then kicked the ref in the head, claiming it was his eye and he couldn't see. This is when Punk started to really get over and get a good heel reaction. Punk then began to rant and talk about how he was Straight Edge and he was better than Hardy, in the following weeks on Smackdown. At Night of Champions in July Punk lost the World Title to Hardy. It was then announced on Smackdown that they would face in a TLC match at Summerslam. They put on a good showing at Summerslam and in my opinion it was a very underated match. Punk was able to pull out the victory and regained his World title to become a three time Straight Edge World champion. Five days later they had one last match to end the feud. If Hardy lost he had to leave WWE. Punk defeated him and Hardy left the WWE. The following week Punk came out to Hardy's music, dressed in Hardy's ring attire. That was one of my favorite Smackdown moments in recent months.


This feud is what got CM Punk over as a heel main eventer. Punk really came out of his shell during his time working with Jeff Hardy. It took him a month or two but he was able to get a lot of serious heat and pulled off his Straight Edge gimmick very well. It helped get the crowd behind Hardy (because of his past) and got Punk a lot of heat. If it wasn't for this feud, Punk might not be as big of a main eventer as he is now.

 

[Jason Scene]

CM Punk Vs The Undertaker​

The feud which solidified CM Punk as a main eventer in the WWE was his feud with The Undertaker. They feuded from August to October, after Undertaker interrupted CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship win over Jeff Hardy, and chokeslammed him. The main point of the feud came when CM Punk beat The Undertaker at Breaking Point, with the Anaconda Vice after Teddy Long had restarted the match. It was a parody of the Montreal Screwjob, and it sucked, but it would continue on after The Undertaker defeated Punk in a HITC match for the World Championship at Summerslam. CM Punk attempted to screw Taker again on an episode of Smackdown, but Taker attacked the referee.

Their final meeting was at Bragging Rights. Undertaker retained and it ended their feud. The reason for this feud being the one which solidified CM Punk as a main eventer within the WWE was because going over on Jeff Hardy means nothing. CM Punk's heel persona came to flourish during his feud with The Undertaker after he bribed Teddy Long. And the heel persona is what really made CM Punk a headlining WWE Superstar.

 

[Tech N9ne]

I will have to agree that his feud with Taker was what thrust him into Main Event status. He had been World Champion a couple times already. But it was his feud with the "Deadman" that solidified him as a major player.

His feud with Jeff Hardy put his rise to the top in motion. But, it felt like he was "there" when his angle with Undertaker was in full swing. I believe "The Hell's Gate" was banned at points during this feud. Punk had already started his "Straight Edge" rants and was becoming pretty hated by the fans.

His annoying rants and sneaky ways to leave his matches with Taker as the Champion, was pretty awesome. Seeing him do all of that to Jeff Hardy was one thing. It was great entertainment, but it truly felt like Jeff Hardy was out of his league.

After all that was over, and CM Punk was using all these tactics on Undertaker, we really got our first look and example that he was ready to be considered a "top guy" within the company. Everyone basically has their break out moment or feud, and I believe CM Punk's was with The Undertaker.

 

[DigitalInfamous]

CM Punk v Jeff Hardy (steel cage)
In my opinion this match is what slapped people in the face and said "Punk is a big deal"
I think him being the reason Hardy had to leave the WWE really made the fans hate him because at the time Jeff was (arguably) the most over face in the company. Plus punk coming out and attacking him when he was giving his farewell put the icing on the cake in my opinion.

 

[nwocongo]

I'd have to agree that it was the Undertaker feud, for me anyway. I think at the time the fanbase didn't really view Edge as a worthy Champ. The Jeff Hardy feud did a lot for getting him over but to me(and sorry for getting a little off topic) Jeff Hardy was probably the worst excuse for a heavyweight champ up to that point. I don't care how over he was with the little kids and the female fans Jeff Hardy as Heavyweight champ was enough to make me stop watching for a while, the term HEAVYWEIGHT champ doesn't really seem fitting for a high flying toothpick of a wrestler.

 

[airvar]

Which feud solidfied CM punk as a main eventer?

His recent work with The New Nexus vs John Cena..

His MITB Cash in on Edge put him on the map, his Feud with Jeff Hardy/ Taker proved he had the ability to stay there.. Then he began to slip during the SES, which went from something that many thought should have been the next big faction in the WWE , to almost an upper mid-carder.

When he returned he dominated Evan Bourne only to end up getting hurt.

About this time people started to question if his feud with Hardy was capturing lighting-in a bottle , and if he had the power to be a mainstay in the main event after weak booking against the likes of Orton/Cena.. He had been solidified as a permant upper-mid carder and outside championship condtendor, and GREAT addition to any elminiation chamber/ fatal four way type match as a filler, but he had yet to have a solid feud against a guy with the capability of becoming the top face in the company on a consistant and regular basis, and not just every once in a while when the main event gets
stale".


His feud with John Cena, Randy Orton, and his relationship with the New Nexus has not only proven he can compete/ and pull of a very very entertaining feud with the top two draw's in the company, but his placement on the annoucing team, and the bookers faith to give him win's over top face's and make his character look truly strong really solidified him not as top 5 Heel in the WWE, but as THE top heel in the WWE right now, and one of the top 3 Mic worker's in the company.

He has put the work in in the past, but the booking wasn't completly behind him, now it seems as if they feel comfterable booking him as a very strong contedor, which says to me he has finally arrived as a permant mainstay in the main event, and the top drawing heel in the company.

 

[PhD]

I think people are really overrating the Undertaker feud here. How exactly was he solidified as a main-eventer by a feud that saw him end up leading a mid-card stable?If anything, Punk getting squashed at Hell in a Cell and subseuqently buried in rematches (part of which was the result of backstage heat) brought his stock lower than it was following the end of his feud with Jeff Hardy.

Over a year later, Punk hasn't been involved in a single championship match since dropping the belt, so it's not clear to me he is solidified as a main-eventer, at least in the sense that I understand that phrase. His current run on RAW, the A-show, and working with personalities like Cena and Orton without getting buried is what is going to solidify him in the main event.

 

[edgespear1909]

summerslam 2009 was great but the highlightreel moment was when jeff hardy swanton bombed cm punk off a twenty foot ladder through a table but cm punk got up and won the match but he got a chokeslam for it

 

[6timehitta]

It's the feud with Jeffrey Nero Hardy. While CM Punk was an up and comer in the main event scene, Jeff was there for a while. So when CM Punk won, I think it took solidified him to the fullest. Not only that, the guy can cut a promo like no other!!!!!