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The summer of 2009 saw Jeff Hardy take on CM Punk in a feud, one that brought up Jeff's real-life struggles with alcohol and drugs and saw Punk call attention to his own straight-edge lifestyle (in his own life, Punk does not drink, smoke or take drugs).

Punk officially turned heel on Jeff after cashing in his Money in the Bank title shot at April's Extreme Rules PPV. From that point on, the two were embroiled in a deeply personal grudge feud that saw Punk chastise the massively popular Hardy for setting a poor example for his younger, impressionable fans with his reckless behaviour and rampant drug use (by the time the two were feuding, Jeff had officially failed two WWE drug tests and had two strikes against him).

Punk would try to reason with Jeff on Smackdown, saying “Why don't you try living a clean lifestyle? Jeff, you've got two strikes. I've got no strikes!”

Hey, considering how many lives in wrestling have been lost or ruined due to drug abuse in wrestling, this was an extremely good point.

Inexplicably, though, Punk was presented by WWE as the clear heel here, and the announcers Jim Ross and Michael Cole would slam Punk on commentary, calling him “preachy” and accusing him of “lecturing everyone.”

The fans vilified Punk, too. His courageous calls to the WWE fans to reject alcohol or pills were almost always met with vociferous boos by fans in the arena. Gee, trying to get people to avoid deadly habits, what a dastardly villain!

Sure, Punk could be holier-than-thou at times, but that was simply because he believed passionately in what he was saying. That he was the heel for these actions might prove once and for all how truly wacky and out-of-touch folks in the WWE Universe are.

So what about Jeff, our heroic babyface, and his reaction to all this? Was he deeply remorseful about his past and acknowledge to the fans that they needed to heed Punk's warnings?

Er, no.

Hardy, for his part, was surly, defensive and generally unapologetic for his past behaviour. “I haven't failed a drug test in a year,” he bragged, during a promo on Smackdown in July, like it was one of the most amazing accomplishments ever. He also proudly announced: “I have never been to rehab, I always healed myself!”

Yes, Jeff thought refusing to go to rehab and get the help he desperately needed made him a hero.

Punk rightly saw through the hypocrisy of all this and pointed out: “Jeff, you'll lose to me and fall back into your old vices, it's a vicious cycle. All these kids that love you...are going to see their hero become just another statistic.”

Stubborn as ever, Jeff refused to listen and scoffed: “Sorry, I'm not as perfect as you.”

Already think that Punk is the clear-cut face here?

It gets better: Just two weeks after Hardy lost a Leaves Town Match, he was arrested for drug trafficking by police in North Carolina, after a suspicious parcel and traces of drugs were found all over his home. The charges, which are still ongoing, could see Jeff put away for as much as five years.

More recently, Jeff greatly embarrassed himself, and everyone in TNA, when he showed up at the company's Victory Road PPV intoxicated.

Turns out Punk was right all along. Jeff was setting a terrible example for his younger fans and, by refusing to admit and apologise for his actions, was setting himself up to fall off the wagon yet again.

Punk really was the good guy in this whole sorry saga.