How The Undertaker Suffered His Own Montreal Screwjob In WWE, Explained
The Undertaker's first-ever controversial loss in WWE came through submission at the hands of CM Punk, which has a story of its own.
There have been many WWE superstars in the past who have had long winning streaks in their careers. Moreover, there have been a few exceptional cases who may have taken pinfall losses during their in-ring time, however, a select few of these WWE superstars have never suffered a clean submission loss. A prominent name to fall under this category is the legendary WWE Hall of Famer, The Undertaker.
The Undertaker has been regarded as one of the most respected and tenured WWE superstars ever, with an illustrious career that spanned over thirty years. The Deadman laid rest to various souls in his three decades of dominance, and not even a single competitor could make The Undertaker submit inside the squared circle. Except for the Best in the world, CM Punk, although in a controversial manner in 2009.
During that time, CM Punk was gaining momentum as a top singles competitor and was the reigning World Heavyweight Champion. The Second City Saint had defeated notable opponents until he encountered the Reaper himself which started the reign of a dark cloud over him. But his cleverness and plot scheming led to Undertaker taking a loss via submission at a WWE pay-per-view. So let’s dive deep and explore the subject of The Undertaker suffering his own version of the infamous ‘Montreal Screwjob.’
The Undertaker Returned To WWE After WrestleMania 25 To Confront CM Punk
The Undertaker had one of the most spectacular bouts at WrestleMania 25, defeating the Showstopper Shawn Michaels, following which he took a lengthy hiatus from WWE. Moreover, it was on the same night that CM Punk won the Money in the Bank Ladder match, grabbing the briefcase and earning a championship opportunity at the time of his choosing.
Fast-forward to WWE SummerSlam 2009 months later, and CM Punk reigned as the World Heavyweight Champion. The future Best in the World defeated Jeff Hardy that night, in a match that favored Hardy more, in a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs boutto retain his championship. CM Punk raised the title high above with a fallen Hardy lying on the mat.
However, just as CM Punk was basking in his victory, a gong sounded over the arena and the lights went out. When they came back, CM Punk ignored it, not realizing that it was not Jeff Hardy lying on the mat, but the Phenom, The Undertaker. The Deadman sat up and laid out CM Punk with a chokeslam and Tombstone Piledriver, signaling his intentions to capture the World title.
The Undertaker Faced His Own Screwjob Against CM Punk At WWE Breaking Point In 2009
After CM Punk outcasted his rival Jeff Hardy from WWE by defeating him in a ‘Loser Leaves WWE’ match, The Undertaker resurfaced on the blue brand to pick up right where he left off at SummerSlam. The Deadman made it clear that he wanted the World Heavyweight title and to bring the holy grail back to the dark side. As a result, a match between CM Punk and The Undertaker was scheduled for WWE’s newest pay-per-view in 2009, Breaking Point. The match stipulation raised the stakes even higher as it was made a submission match, with The Undertaker walking in as a WWE superstar to have never been submitted in the ring.
Overall, the match displayed amazing back-and-forth and jammed-packed action by both superstars, looking to make each other submit and walk away with the win. The closing moments of the match saw CM Punk tapping out as the Undertaker applied his Hell’s Gate submission move. The victory celebration was cut short by the General Manager of SmackDown Theodore Long, who informed everyone that former GM Vickie Guerrero had forbidden The Undertaker from using his submission move, Hell’s Gate. Long ordered the match to go on, but as the bell rang to restart the match, Punk instantly locked in the Anaconda Vise, and referee Scott Armstrong called for the bell even though The Undertaker did not surrender. This was direct reminiscent of the Montreal Screwjob that happened in 1997 in the same venue as the event.
This was later revealed to be a conspiracy forged by Teddy Long, Scott Armstrong, and CM Punk to prevent The Undertaker from becoming champion. However, all three paid for their crimes, with Long being kidnapped and tortured by The Deadman, Scott Armstrong squashed by CM Punk and The Undertaker decimating CM Punk inside Hell in a Cell to regain the World Heavyweight Championship a month later at the namesake pay-per-view.
