7 Times WWE used real-life situations as storylines

#4 CM Punk addresses Jeff Hardy's real-life issues on WWE TV

CM Punk had an impeccable feud with Jeff Hardy back in 2009 involving the World Heavyweight Championship. Moments after Hardy won the title at WWE Extreme Rules against Edge, Punk would cash in his Money in the Bank contract and get the win to claim the championship.

Following his title defense against The Charismatic Enigma at The Bash, Punk would take centerstage on SmackDown and shock the WWE Universe with a scathing promo where he took a dig at Hardy's history of drug abuse.

Punk is well known for being strictly against the consumption of drugs and alcohol while Hardy has a history with these vices. During the 1st July 2009 episode of SmackDown, this is how Punk would target Hardy's real-life issues:

"This is Polymyxin B Sulfate. I have to apply this to my eye three times a day. The only way you obtain this, is with a description from a doctor. Now, I know, you know a thing or two about subscription medication. What I don't think you realize, is that you have to go to a doctor to legally obtain some. Unlike you, Jeff, this is the only foreign substance I will allow in my body. So, if you wanna imitate me, why don't you try living a clean lifestyle? Why don't you try living a straight edge lifestyle?" [H/T: Cagematch]

Punk would then go on to add how he's never been to rehab and is a clean slate. The feud would end with both Punk and Hardy facing each other in a steel cage mage on SmackDown, with a loser leaves WWE stipulation. The latter would lose and eventually leave the company. The storyline was actually put in place to allow Hardy to leave WWE in order to recover from his injuries.