The Straight Edge Society was a professional wrestling faction in World Wrestling Entertainment created by CM Punk. CM Punk created the group when he turned into a heel and began acting like a cult-like "savior", proclaiming that his Straight-Edge lifestyle was the best way to live, and that anything below it was "the enemy". The faction officially took shape when Luke Gallows formerly known as "Festus" made his WWE debut as Punk's bodyguard and "Striaght-Edge disciple". Early in the group's run, Punk would take planted fans in the crowd into the ring and "cleanse" them of their "old, drug-filled, alcohol-driven lives". A month later, Serena joined the group as a manager after willingly accepting Punk's invite from the crowd and having her head shaved.
History[]
Formation[]
The formation began on the November 27, 2009 of SmackDown where CM Punk transformed the formerly mentally retarded and unresponsive Festus into the focused and driven Luke Gallows. Gallows explained that his friends got him hooked on prescription pain medication, which explained his behavior as Festus. Gallows credited Punk with cleaning him up and "showing him the way," and became Punk's main enforcer.
A few weeks later, a (planted) fan named Serena came from the crowd, rushing to Punk and Gallows who had called security. Serena then revealed her desire to join the SES and willingly had her head shaved.
On February 23, 2010 it was revealed on NXT that Punk would be mentoring the "South Beach Party Boy" Darren Young.
A few weeks later, Young became fascinated with the SES and decided to join them, only to quickly change his mind after finding out he had to shave his head as initiation.
Feud with Rey Mysterio[]
The SES would begin a feud with Rey Mysterio after Mysterio defeated Punk in a match to qualify for the World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match. The SES would attack Mysterio after the match. At Elimination Chamber on February 21, 2010, Punk was eliminated from the chamber match by Mysterio.. The feud would then intensify when they cost each other qualifiers for the Money in the Bank ladder match at Wrestlemania XXVI. The SES would then interrupt Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday party on the March 12, 2010 episode of SmackDown. The following week Mysterio challenged Punk to a match at WrestleMania, where if Mysterio lost, he would have to join the SES.
At WrestleMania, Mysterio and Punk competed, with a mystery masked man coming in trying to interfere on Punk's behalf, but Punk eventually lost. A rematch was made for the Extreme Rules PPV where Mysterio said if Punk lost he would have to shave his head. Punk won the match with interference from the mystery man.
On the following episode of Smackdown, after getting assaulted by Mysterio during a match with Luke Gallows against MVP, the two agreed to face each other at the Over the Limit PPV in May, in a match which combined the stipulations of their previous two PPV matches. (if Punk lost he would shave his head, while if Mysterio lost he would join the SES). At Over the Limit, Punk was defeated, and wound up getting his head shaved after interference from Kane. To conceal his baldness, Punk then began to wear a mask.
In June, Punk participated in a Fatal-4-Way match at the Fatal-4-Way PPV for Jack Swagger's World Heavyweight Championship that also featured eventual winner Rey Mysterio (a late replacement for the injured Undertaker) and The Big Show. Punk and the Society were chased away from the match by Kane.
Feud with Kane[]
On the June 25, 2010 edition of Smackdown, Punk faced Kane in a No DQ match, where Punk injured his arm and left the building, resulting in a no contest.
Two weeks later, after an ultimatum by Kane to show Punk's innocence concerning the Undertaker's attack, Serena (through security camera footage) showed herself breaking the Straight Edge code by drinking at a bar on the same night The Undertaker had been attacked. The following week, Serena (facing expulsion from the SES) told Punk that he was the whole world to her, and told him she showed the video to protect him from Kane and promised to never break the code again, and Punk would eventually forgive her.
Feud with the Big Show[]
The next week, Punk was in the ring discussing being the only man to win two Money in the Bank ladder matches, and if he weren't injured, he would have made it three at the Money in the Bank PPV. Big Show then came out, saying he was tired of Punk's mouth and calling the SES boring. The SES then attacked Show and climbed the custom made ladder that Show had brought out, but Show retaliated, and pulled Punk's mask off revealing his bald head.
On the July 23, 2010 edition of SmackDown, the mystery man wrestled (and was defeated by) Show. His mask was then pulled off, revealing that it was Joey Mercury. The following week the Straight Edge Society viciously attacked Big Show together, causing him to pass out, At SummerSlam, Big Show defeated the Straight Edge Society in a 3-on 1 handicap match by pinning Punk. Serena wrestled her first match as part of the SES, teaming with Gallows to face Show and Kelly Kelly. Punk would face Big Show in a singles rematch at Night of Champions, where he was once again unsuccessful.
Split[]
On the August 27th edition of Smackdown, after his match with JTG, Punk ordered the society to beat Big Show very viciously during a Gallows vs Big Show match, but Show defeated Gallows, showing signs of discontinuity in the Society. Later on in the night, WWE.com announced that Serena was released from her contract, severing her ties to The SES. On the September 3 edition of SmackDown after losing a handicap match to The Big Show, a visibly frustrated CM Punk executed a GTS to Luke Gallows and left the ring. The end of the group was solified on the September 24 airing of SmackDown when Gallows confronted Punk, saying he would have a beer after he defeats Punk and the two had a match which Punk won.
