WWE Classic Match: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy in a Ladder Match (Extreme Rules 2009)

The Extreme Rules pay-per-view has only been in existence since 2009, and it’s only been the post-WrestleMania PPV for the last two years. 

This Sunday, however, we will witness the fourth annual Extreme Rules PPV, a show that has a very solid lineup of matches and will be headlined by John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar in an Extreme Rules match.

So to celebrate Sunday’s show, I thought that we’d make this week’s Classic Match of the Week an Extreme Rules throwback. 

Today’s bout? Jeff Hardy vs. Edge in a Ladder match for the World Heavyweight Championship at the first-ever Extreme Rules pay-per-view in 2009. 

I was actually lucky enough to attend to this show in person, and while I’ve probably attended roughly 10 to 12 live events, TV tapings and PPVs, I have to say that this was undoubtedly the best match I’ve ever seen live.

I guess that really shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, now should it? 

Although this show had a pretty stacked card—including Batista vs. Randy Orton inside a steel cage for the WWE Championship and Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho in a No Holds Barred match for the Intercontinental Championship—Edge and Hardy stole the show. 

Hardy was peaking at the time as one of the WWE’s most popular baby faces, and he exceeded a lot of people’s expectations by becoming a legitimate World title contender. 

Obviously, Hardy and Edge have a lot of history with each other (especially in Ladder matches), so when Hardy earned the right to pick the stipulation for their Extreme Rules match, he made the only logical choice: A ladder match. 

And what a ladder match it was. 

Both Edge and Hardy are heralded as two of the best ladder match competitors in wrestling history, and after being fortunate enough to witness this bout in person, I can see why. 

The risks that both of these men took during this match were unbelievable, and I appreciated it a whole lot more as I was able to watch it from just about a hundred feet away. 

The match lasted more than 20 grueling minutes and ended when Edge fell through the ladder as both men climbed to the top, getting trapped in between two of the ladder steps and allowing Hardy to capitalize to win the World Heavyweight Championship. 

As we all know, Hardy’s title reign was short-lived, as CM Punk immediately cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase, nailed Hardy with a GTS and won the belt. 

This put a damper on the night for some of the folks in attendance at the show, but I wasn’t complaining. 

The Hardy/Edge Ladder match was probably the best match in Extreme Rules history and ultimately led to that amazing Hardy/Punk feud that was the “Feud of the Year” in 2009.

Drake Oz is the WWE Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. You can follow him onTwitter and ask him any wrestling-related questions (to be answered in the B/R Mailbag) on Formspring.