CM Punk and Rey Mysterio. Preaching the Straight Edge lifestyle, CM Punk became one of WWE’s biggest villains while the leader of the Straight Edge Society. A cult leader, he set his sights on numerous superstars along with his followers in, including Luke Gallows, Joey Mercury, and Serena.
With a vicious and twisted leader whose followers believed fully in the message he portrayed, a feud against the legendary Rey Mysterio was perfect and thrilling. Their storyline and rivalry started when Rey Mysterio pinned CM Punk to eliminate him from the Elimination Chamber match at the self-titled event in 2010.
The following SmackDown, Mysterio interfered on behalf of Shelton Benjamin, pulling Gallows of the apron who was trying to help CM Punk win the match. Benjamin would pick up the victory thanks to Mysterio evening the odds. This cost CM Punk the chance to qualify for the Money in the Bank match at WrestleMania 26.
CM Punk and Rey Mysterio
The following week, CM Punk and the Straight Edge Society spoke in the ring about Mysterio. They said Mysterio’s popularity stems from parents being unable to be proper role models themselves, and Mysterio was not a superhero but a neglectful parent himself who robbed Punk of the chance to win The Money in the Bank for a third time.
That same evening, Rey Mysterio defeated Luke Gallows in a match, but now, Mysterio had an enemy in The Straight Edge Society.
CM Punk and Rey Mysterio – Aliyah’s 9th Birthday
On the 12th of March Episode of SmackDown, Rey Mysterio brought his family to the ring to wish his daughter, Aliyah, a happy 9th Birthday. While the crowd and the Mysterio family sang Happy Birthday, CM Punk made his entrance and, along with his group, began to make their way to the ring and joined in on the singing.
Punk, in front of Mysterio’s family, challenged him to a match at Wrestlemania because he wanted Mysterio’s family to hear him scream in pain like he’d never done before. Mysterio took his family out of the ring and backstage while Punk, in the creepiest way, sang Happy Birthday to Aliyah.
The next week, Mysterio accepted Punk’s challenge and called out Punk, saying the previous week, he crossed a line. Punk said that Mysterio has the potential to be a member of his group if he just accepted the straight-edge lifestyle. A challenge was laid down by Punk that if Mysterio lost to Gallows and then Punk at Wrestlemania, he would have to join his society.
Gallows successfully pinned Mysterio after interference from Punk and Serena, and at Wrestlemania, the match was an intense affair that begun with Punk saying that he was not the monster in his feud with Mysterio but his savior. Mysterio pinned CM Punk in one of the evening’s most entertaining matches after hitting a 619 and a springboard splash.
CM Punk and Rey Mysterio – Mask vs. Hair
This match would take place at Extreme Rules, but in the lead-up to their match, Mysterio managed to cut a lock of hair of Punks on the draft Special Monday Night Raw episode. Mysterio has spoken about the feud and keeping a lock of CM Punk hair from their feud together.
“I still have some of his hair in a little Ziploc bag with the date. That’s what we do in lucha libre. When you have a Mask vs. Mask [match], if you win and you take your opponent’s mask, then you keep it as a trophy.
If you have a Mask vs. Hair or a Hair vs. Hair match and you happen to win, I learned this from my uncle, just from growing up in lucha libre, my uncle would collect the hair of his opponent and put it in a little baggie, date it, label it with the opponent, where it was at, and it was kind of like a souvenir, a trophy. So, I do have CM Punk’s hair in a little Ziploc bag. It’s in one of my photo albums.”
At Extreme Rules, CM Punk picked up the win against Rey Mysterio to keep his hair. A cocky Punk celebrated by sitting on the barber’s chair that had been set up at ringside. Punks win came thanks to a mysterious hooded figure attacking Mysterio and helping Punk win.
On SmackDown, CM Punk and the legendary Luchador had a rematch, and once again, the masked man interfered and cost Mysterio the match. It was revealed to be Joey Mercury, the newest member of the Straight Edge Society.
During an initiation ceremony where Punk was shaving members of the audience who were becoming the newest members of Punk’s group. The master of the 619 interrupted and challenged Punk to a match at Over the Limit, WWE’s next pay-per-view.
Mysterio added the stipulation that if he beat Punk, Punk would have his hair shaved off, but if Punk won again, Mysterio would pledge his allegiance to the Straight Edge Society.
SmackDown General Manager Teddy Long also added a stipulation that all members of the Straight Edge Society were banned from ringside.
CM Punk and Rey Mysterio – at Over The Limit
Over The Limit saw Rey Mysterio pin CM Punk, but after the match, Gallows and Mercury attacked Mysterio with direction from Serena, but Kane made the save to help Mysterio. He would help Mysterio handcuff Punk to the ropes, and Mysterio victoriously shaved the head of CM Punk to signify the end of their feud.
Mysterio has looked back on his feud with Punk and what his working relationship with him was like
“He was cool, he was cool. I’ve always had a great, still to this day, have a great relationship with Phil (CM Punk). Punk is a great guy. Despite his problems with WWE, we have always got along. During that time, he let me be me. I was always very careful with him.”
The Rey Mysterio, CM Punk storyline shows great storytelling by using in-ring action along with outstanding promo work from both men. Their feud is the highlight of Punks entertaining Straight Edge Society run and really develops the group and characters involved.
