Reckless diving

Reckless diving

Few Superstars defined the term "high risk" like Jeff Hardy. A true daredevil in the ring, the former WWE Champion was all too willing to use his body like a weapon no matter what the cost. This "live for the moment" mentality was on full display at SummerSlam 2009 -- the No. 5 moment on WWE.com's "Great Leaps of Faith."

Defending his World Heavyweight Championship in the bout he made famous, The Charismatic Enigma took on CM Punk in an absolutely harrowing Tables, Ladders & Chairs Match. Leading up to the contest, The Straight Edge Savior repeatedly belittled Hardy's unique way of life, bringing out a rage in the eccentric Superstar that he unleashed on Punk in this grueling battle.

After a vicious back-and-forth war that saw each man pushed to their breaking point, the match fell to the outside of the ring, where Hardy dropped Punk on an announce table. The Charismatic Enigma then scaled a 30-foot ladder and hurled his body from the very top of the structure, recklessly driving all 225 pounds of himself onto The Straight Edge Savior. The brutal impact of flesh and bone crashing through solid wood echoed throughout the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, shocking the capacity crowd in attendance.

Although he competed in many TLC Matches, this was arguably Hardy's most breathtaking dive, and he felt every bit of the crash. Bruised and broken under busted monitors and wooden shrapnel, the extreme Superstar was unable to get up — a victim of the "live for the moment" motto he followed. As EMTs tended to the injured Hardy, Punk slithered his way into the ring and climbed the ladder toward the World Heavyweight Championship. Hardy made one last attempt to halt The Straight Edge Superstar, but he was simply too battered to do so.

In the end, the high-risk maneuver would cost Jeff Hardy his title. However, the unique individual was always more willing to take the leap than worry about the fall. 

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