The Straight Edge Society was a villainous professional wrestling stable in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) that appeared on its SmackDown brand.
The concept behind the group was the straight edge lifestyle, which promotes and abides to discipline—primarily no smoking, drinking, or drugs. The group acted as a militant organization, denouncing all people who did not live the straight edge lifestyle, even those who also abstain from substance abuse, so new members were required to shave their heads, which signified a "new beginning". The founder and leader of the group was CM Punk, who follows the straight edge lifestyle in real life. As of , only Luke Gallows remains employed with the WWE among the former members of the Straight Edge Society while Punk and Deeb also work for All Elite Wrestling. But recently Punk was fired from the All Elite Wrestling and remains unsigned.
History
Formation
Before The Straight Edge Society was formed, CM Punk feuded with Jeff Hardy over the World Heavyweight Championship while making allusions to Hardy's real life drug usage. In the end, on the August 28 episode of SmackDown, Punk retained his World Heavyweight Championship in a Loser Leaves WWE steel cage match and Hardy left the WWE. The formation began on the November 27, 2009 episode of SmackDown where Punk transformed the formerly mentally disabled and unresponsive Festus into the focused and driven Luke Gallows, who explained that his friends got him hooked on prescription pain medication, which explained his behavior as Festus, and he also credited Punk with cleaning him up and "showing him the way", and became Punk's main enforcer. Gallows would assist Punk in his feuds with R-Truth and Matt Hardy. A few weeks later, the two began shaving the heads of (planted) fans in the audience who wished to follow the straight edge lifestyle, demonstrating a "new beginning" for their lives. Before Punk was able to find a third person to convert, a woman named Serena came out of the crowd begging to be saved by Punk, but instead of having security escort her out, he accepted Serena and shaved her head. From thereafter, Serena accompanied Punk and ran interference in his matches.
Punk would interrupt many events in an attempt to recruit members to The Straight Edge Society, starting from the Royal Rumble, where he would preach while eliminating Dolph Ziggler, Evan Bourne, JTG, Beth Phoenix, and Zack Ryder, even though he was ultimately eliminated from the speaking platform by Triple H, whom he had tried to convert previously and who had espoused that he too avoided drugs, smoke, and alcohol, but he did not think it was right to be preaching like Punk was doing.
On February 23, 2010 it was revealed that Punk would be mentoring Darren Young, a "South Beach Party Boy", on the first season of NXT. A few weeks later, Young became fascinated with The Straight Edge Society 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 Straight Edge Society would begin a feud with Rey Mysterio at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view event, where Punk was eliminated by Mysterio in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Heavyweight Championship. The feud would then intensify when Mysterio cost Punk a qualifying match for the Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXVI. The Straight Edge Society would then interrupt Mysterio's daughter's ninth birthday party, enticing Mysterio into challenging Punk to a match at WrestleMania XXVI, where if Mysterio lost, he would have to join The Straight Edge Society. However, Mysterio defeated Punk at WrestleMania.
A rematch was made at Extreme Rules where Mysterio said if Punk lost, he would have his head shaved; however, Punk won the match with interference from a mysterious fourth member who concealed himself either with a hood or a mask; thus Punk kept his head from being shaved. On the following episode of SmackDown, after getting assaulted by Mysterio during a match with Luke Gallows against Montel Vontavious Porter, the two agreed to face each other at Over the Limit in May, in a match which combined the stipulations of their previous two pay-per-view matches. 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.