Under the Hood: The Mystery Continues Within The Straight-Edge Society

Just over two months ago at the "Extreme Rules" pay-per-view, CM Punk defeated Rey Mysterio with a little bit of help from a mystery man.

This guy, often seen in a black hoodie and a black mask, has been known as the "Hooded Stranger" of the Straight-Edge Society. He has made a habit out of popping up whenever it is convenient to lend his assistance to Punk and the S.E.S.

When he first made his mark on the WWE, fans were curious as to who was under the hood, and speculation ran wild on wrestling forums and rumor pages.

All reports indicate that the man behind the mask is Joey Mercury, the former tag team partner of John Morrison.

Along with Melina, the three were known as MNM, and they were quite dominant in the tag team division during 2005. They became the tag team champions on their very first match as members of Smackdown by defeating Rey Mysterio and the late Eddie Guerrero.

Mercury has a well-documented past with drug and alcohol abuse, and his personal problems played a major factor in his release from the WWE in 2007. He admitted in an interview with SLAM! Online that he had been battling addiction since the age of 15.

It appears as though Mercury has conquered his demons and has begun a new stint with the WWE. He seems to be a rare success story in a world filled with drug-related tragedies.

This is why Mercury is a perfect fit for the S.E.S. Sooner or later, if he really is the "Hooded Stranger," it could make for an interesting storyline.

Despite all of this, it has been over two months since the masked man made his first appearance, and his identity has yet to be revealed to the WWE universe. What gives?

The overall momentum of who he really is fades more and more every week because the WWE seems to not really spend any time questioning his identity. The announcers don't seem to care who is behind the mask at all, and the longer that trend continues, the less the fans are going to care.

The masked man has wrestled some tag matches with Gallows at house shows but has yet to wrestle on WWE television. He shows up when Punk or Gallows are in trouble, usually ends up taking the majority of the beating, and then slinks back into the shadows until he is needed again.

After two months, his character has yet to evolve.

It is a shame because the mystery behind his true identity was one of the hottest topics in wrestling a few months back, but now it is hardly discussed.

Maybe it is because the fans who spend time on wrestling forums and rumor pages know who the masked man really is, or maybe it is because the WWE has dropped the ball by dragging it on for far too long.

As of last Friday, it seems the S.E.S. is going through some serious turmoil.

Serena appears to be on the outs with the group as she broke edge by consuming alcohol. Her video footage may have cleared Punk's name from the list of suspects behind the Undertaker's "vegetative state," but it has also essentially shown a weakness in Punk's strong-willed faction.

Maybe now the time is finally right for the mask to come off the mystery man. By revealing the true story of Joey Mercury and how he was "saved" by CM Punk, the S.E.S. could regain a bit of their damaged credibility.

Sooner or later, his identity is going to have to be revealed. The longer the WWE waits, the less we are going to care.

 

Photo courtesy of CMpunk.com