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Just like he did at Extreme Rules, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk crushed Jeff Hardy’s dreams of donning the Heavyweight Title. However on this night, it was a mere matter of inches that separated Hardy from gold.

Hardy thought he finally achieved what he had been scratching and clawing for when it appeared he had scored the pinfall over Punk. However, after closer inspection by the referee, it was determined Punk’s foot was under the bottom rope and was out of bounds.

Hardy was beyond frustrated.

After the action was restarted, Punk kicked the referee in the back, resulting in a disqualification. In one fell swoop Punk dropped the ref and crushed Hardy’s hopes.

After the match, as both Superstars exited the ring, Jeff Hardy went after Punk in complete and utter frustration. Hardy forced Punk into the ring, where he launched into a vicious assault. It took three referees to stop Hardy from his crazed attack. At one point, Hardy broke free and continued his attack on the champion. The melee ended when the crazed Hardy was finally corralled by the referees.

The night was the culmination of months of brooding frustration within Hardy.

The way in which Punk won at The Bash was just another example of the selfish behavior the champion has exhibited ever since Extreme Rules.

At Extreme Rules, Jeff Hardy was triumphant over Edge in a career-threatening World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match. But then, in the blink of an eye, it was all over when Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract on Hardy.

Then, on Raw’s special 3-For-All, Punk put his title up against both Hardy & Edge in a Triple Threat Match. Hardy looked to once again close-in on victory over The Rated-R Superstar. However, Punk blocked Hardy’s path to glory, hurling him away from the win to cover Edge himself and retain the title.

Will Punk’s win at The Bash crush Hardy’s spirits for good? How much longer will he persist in his hunt for gold? Will he ever give up?

Last week on SmackDown, John Morrison went toe-to-toe with former World Heavyweight Champion Edge, giving him a run for his money. Although The Friday Night delight came up short against The Ultimate Opportunist last week, on this night, he found a way to defeat the reigning champion. Perhaps feeling uncomfortable with his loss to the younger Superstar, Punk offered a congratulatory handshake to Morrison, only to crush him with a Go to Sleep. After the loss, Punk must put it behind him if he is to successfully defend his title against No. 1 contender Jeff Hardy at The Bash.

As World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk looked on from the announce table, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio & The Great Khali teamed up to face down Edge, Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho & Dolph Ziggler. Perhaps sending a message to Punk, his opponent at The Bash, The Charismatic Enigma pinned Ziggler himself to secure the win for his team. As Hardy celebrated in the ring after the match, Punk climbed in and raised his Bash opponent’s hand in victory. Undoubtedly recalling how Punk cashed in his Money in the Bank contract against him at Extreme Rules after a grueling World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match against Edge, Hardy jerked his hand away, his mind looking forward to this Sunday.

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Mysterio’s match with Punk, Jericho “evened the score” for his masked adversary’s earlier attack, slamming The Master of the 619 into the steel ring post. Though Mysterio answered his 10-count, the World Champion quickly finished him off with the GTS.

After the bell, an angry Jeff Hardy charged into the ring to dispute the decision. He was clearly still seething after being stripped of the World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules. But the confrontation only ended in a staredown, with Punk still walking off with the victory over Mysterio. At The Bash, things will finally come to a head when Punk and Hardy collide in a rematch.

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Though Jeff Hardy and some members of the WWE Universe might think otherwise, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk maintained that he did nothing wrong in cashing in his Money in the Bank on Hardy following his Ladder Match against Edge. On Raw, The Charismatic Enigma had an opportunity to win the World Heavyweight Title back from The Straightedge Champion, but with the added complication of The Rated-R Superstar’s presence.

In the course of the match, Punk appeared to injure his leg after landing wrong on the ring steps, moving outside the ring for WWE’s athletic trainers to attend to him. The World Heavyweight Champion made a miraculous recovery however, launching into action after Hardy hit Edge with a Swanton Bomb, pulling The Charismatic Enigma out of the ring and covering Edge to retain his championship gold. After the match, SmackDown General Manager Theodore Long emerged, congratulating CM Punk and revealing that his next title defense would be against Jeff Hardy at The Bash.

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Jericho has been angry for weeks over not being considered for an opportunity at the World Title. After expressing his displeasure to Teddy Long, the GM announced Jericho could face new champion CM Punk. So, just before joining the announce team for the main event, Punk took on Jericho one-on-one. Despite Jericho’s bold prediction, his guarantee for victory did not come true, as Punk dropped him with a Go to Sleep. The win was Punk’s first as new champion.

In a back-and-forth struggle, Hardy and Edge pushed themselves to the limits of endurance. As the action spilled to the arena floor, Edge tossed Hardy onto CM Punk, who was seated at the announce table. Mayhem then ensued, when Punk pursued Edge back in to the ring and assaulted him with a series of punches.

Realizing he lost the match due to Punk’s interference, an angry Jeff Hardy reigned down blows on Punk, then took out his frustration on Edge with a Twist of Fate. But it was the champion who had the final word when he destroyed Hardy with a Go to Sleep.

As Punk stood over the fallen former champions, GM Theodore Long made the blockbuster announcement from his office that it will be Edge vs. Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk in a Triple Threat Match on Raw for the World Heavyweight Championship.

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In a wild turn of events surrounding the coveted World Heavyweight Championship, CM Punk emerged the new champion after cashing in his Money in the Bank contract against Jeff Hardy, who moments earlier, defeated former champion Edge in a brutal Ladder Match.

Before Hardy could fully bask in the glory of being crowned the new World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk crushed Hardy’s dreams by cashing in the contract he has wielded since winning the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the 25th Anniversary of WrestleMania. With a double dose of Go to Sleep, Punk easily put away the exhausted Hardy.

The victory was Punk’s second of the night at Extreme Rules. Earlier, he defeated Umaga in a vicious Samoan Strap Match. CM Punk overcame the odds stacked against him at Extreme Rules, defeating Umaga at his own game – a Samoan Strap Match. While Mr. Money in the Bank was strapped to the 350-pound brute Sunday night, he amazingly dragged his opponent to three corners of the ring, hit him with a Go To Sleep, then hit the last ringpost in succession for the victory.

Umaga had been the thorn in the Straightedge Superstar’s side for more than a month. Not only has The Samoan Bulldozer thwarted several of Punk’s attempts to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase on SmackDown, he brutally defeated him at Judgment Day.

But their last meeting before Extreme Rules foretold the future, and it certainly looked bright for Punk. Friday on SmackDown, Punk defeated Umaga after hitting him with an astounding Go To Sleep, just as he did at Extreme Rules. It was a feat that some thought was impossible, but not to Mr. Money in the Bank.

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Just two days before their Samoan Strap Match at Extreme Rules, The Straightedge Superstar captured the momentum, executing the GTS on Umaga as The Samoan Bulldozer was distracted by his own Samoan Strap. Will the outcome be different when the straps are wielding freely on the one night of the year when all of WWE goes Extreme?

Umaga may have decimated CM Punk at Judgment Day, but it seems The Samoan Bulldozer still isn’t finished with Mr. Money in the Bank. The 350-pound savage has challenged The Straightedge Superstar to a Samoan Strap Match at Extreme Rules.

The Samoan Bulldozer has been attacking Punk week after week during his matches. He’s stopped Punk from cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, thwarting his attempts to face Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship on SmackDown. Despite bulldozing his way through Mr. Money in the Bank at Judgment Day, the savage is thirsty for another battle.

During Punk’s recent match against Chris Jericho on SmackDown, Umaga ran into the ring and attacked The Straightedge Superstar, tying him to the ringpost with a Samoan Strap. Then, he shockingly took the microphone from ring announcer Justin Roberts and offered Punk a challenge.

“You think you’re hurt now? Wait until Extreme Rules because I’m issuing you a challenge … It will be a Samoan Strap Match!” Umaga yelled as Punk was left defenseless in the corner.

The Samoan Bulldozer continued his brutal, animalistic assault on Mr. Money in the Bank, kicking and whipping him. But will Punk continue to be Umaga’s victim? Or will Mr. Money in the Bank finally beat Umaga at his own game – the Samoan Strap Match – at Extreme Rules? Find out live on June 7 at 8/7 CT, only on pay-per-view.

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Just after Punk successfully hit the GTS on Jericho in their “WWE Superstars” rematch on SmackDown and was on his way to a huge win of retribution, The Samoan Bulldozer once again attacked The Straightedge Superstar, hurling their rivalry into the Extreme. After tying Punk upside-down to the turnbuckle with a Samoan Strap, Umaga actually spoke English, challenging Mr. Money in the Bank to a Samoan Strap Match at Extreme Rules before whipping him for all it was worth