Rey Mysterio has revealed that one of the most memorable stipulation-match payoffs of his WWE career still has a place in his personal collection. More than 16 years after defeating CM Punk at WWE Over the Limit 2010, Mysterio says he has kept some of Punk’s hair in a labeled Ziploc bag.
The souvenir dates back to Mysterio and Punk’s rivalry over the Straight Edge Society, the faction Punk led during that period of his WWE run. Their feud culminated at Over the Limit on May 23, 2010, where Mysterio faced Punk in a pledge vs. hair match. The stakes were clear: a Punk victory would have forced Mysterio to join the Straight Edge Society, while a Mysterio victory meant Punk would have his head shaved in front of the WWE audience.
Mysterio won the match, and the stipulation was carried out after the bell. Punk, whose long hair had become an important part of his presentation as the self-righteous leader of the group, was shaved at ringside. It was a major visual conclusion to the program and one that has remained firmly associated with both men’s WWE histories.
A Tradition Mysterio Learned From His Family
Speaking with MuscleManMalcolm, Mysterio explained that he did not simply view the hair as a novelty from a famous WWE angle. Instead, he saw preserving it as an extension of a lucha libre tradition connected to mask and hair stipulations.
For more background on this topic, read Je’Von Evans Reflects on Becoming a Role Model for Young WWE Fans at 22.
“It was very fun being able to shave his hair. I actually still have part of his hair and a little Ziploc bag with the date on it, which is what we would do back in Mexico if you won a mask or you won a hair versus another opponent, you would save at least… I learned this from my uncle. I would put the hair in a little Ziploc bag, put a tape over it. Then I would put the date of the match who I wrestled and it’s there. I have a photo album and everything’s there.”
Mysterio’s comments offer a personal perspective on a match that was built around a distinctly traditional wrestling consequence. In lucha libre, masks and hair can carry enormous symbolic value. Putting either on the line elevates the conflict beyond a standard win or loss, as the wrestler risks a defining part of their identity and presentation. The result can become a lasting chapter in a performer’s legacy.
For Mysterio, who comes from one of wrestling’s most influential families and has spent his career bringing lucha libre traditions to international audiences, the act of saving a piece of Punk’s hair fits within that history. His recollection indicates that the bag is dated and identified with the opponent and match, rather than being an unmarked keepsake. It is also part of a broader photo album collection he has maintained.
The High Stakes of Mysterio vs. Punk
The Over the Limit match represented the closing point of a rivalry with unusually personal stakes. Punk’s Straight Edge Society character centered on the idea that he could “save” others by having them adopt his straight-edge lifestyle and follow his leadership. The group’s visual identity, message, and recruitment tactics made Punk one of WWE’s most prominent antagonists at the time.
Mysterio was positioned as a direct contrast to Punk. His connection with fans, his family-centered persona, and his standing as an established WWE star made him a natural opponent for the Straight Edge Society leader. Their issue was not only about match results. It was about Punk attempting to exert control and Mysterio refusing to submit to it.
The pledge vs. hair stipulation put both characters at risk in a way a conventional match could not. Mysterio potentially faced forced membership in Punk’s faction, while Punk risked losing the hair that had become closely tied to the Straight Edge Society image. That made the finish immediately understandable even for viewers who had not followed every development in the rivalry.
When Mysterio prevailed, the post-match haircut delivered a definitive form of humiliation for Punk’s character. The visual gave the feud a conclusion that could be recognized instantly, and it reinforced the value of stipulation matches when the condition is tied directly to a wrestler’s identity. For Mysterio, it also became a moment worth preserving in the same manner that lucha libre wrestlers have historically documented mask and hair victories.
Why Hair Matches Carry Lasting Meaning
Hair matches have long occupied a special space in professional wrestling. Although a wrestler can eventually grow their hair back, the immediate effect of a head shaving is impossible to hide. It changes the performer’s appearance on television, affects their character presentation, and provides fans with a visible reminder of the defeat for weeks or months afterward.
That is especially true when the wrestler’s hairstyle is a recognizable part of the act. Punk’s loss to Mysterio was not presented as a routine grooming change. It was a consequence tied to his defeat, one that left the Straight Edge Society leader publicly embarrassed after he had spent the rivalry trying to place Mysterio under his control.
In Mexican wrestling, the cultural importance of a hair match is even more pronounced. A cabellera contra cabellera contest can be among the most serious wagers a wrestler makes. While the mask is often regarded as the ultimate prize in lucha libre, a hair loss remains a significant public sacrifice. The defeated wrestler is stripped of something personal in front of the audience, and the winner earns a tangible marker of the victory.
Mysterio’s explanation about bagging and labeling hair helps illustrate why the Over the Limit moment held meaning beyond WWE television. He was applying a custom learned from his uncle and from his wrestling background. In that context, preserving Punk’s hair was a way of archiving an important career result rather than simply holding onto a backstage prop.
A Career Built on Lucha Libre Heritage
Mysterio has consistently carried lucha libre influence throughout his career, from his mask and high-flying style to the importance he places on family legacy. His approach has helped introduce aspects of Mexican wrestling culture to audiences far beyond its traditional home, particularly during his years on major United States television platforms.
His revelation about the Punk match is another reminder that the traditions surrounding wrestling can matter as much to the performers as the televised segment itself. Fans remember the dramatic shaving at Over the Limit 2010, but Mysterio’s account adds a detail from after the cameras captured the stipulation’s payoff: he treated the hair as a documented trophy from a meaningful wager.
The photo album Mysterio mentioned appears to be the place where he has organized these memorabilia items and their accompanying information. He did not specify how many other items are included in that collection, but he made clear that Punk’s hair is still there, with the date and opponent information attached.
For a wrestler whose career has covered multiple generations, promotions, championship reigns, and landmark matches, such a collection provides a physical connection to major moments. Mysterio’s encounter with Punk is particularly notable because it brought the logic of a lucha libre hair wager into a major WWE storyline, complete with a highly public conclusion.
Mysterio Looks Ahead in WWE
While reflecting on the Punk rivalry, Mysterio also discussed the possibility of winning another championship in WWE. The veteran has already achieved major success across his career, including world-title accomplishments, but the subject remains relevant as he continues to compete and pursue new milestones.
Mysterio did not present the preserved hair as a sign that he is only looking backward. Rather, the story underscores the breadth of a career in which past rivalries and traditions remain meaningful while future goals are still in view. His WWE journey has been defined by longevity as much as it has by spectacle, and the possibility of another title adds another layer to that ongoing story.
As for the Ziploc bag, it remains an unexpectedly personal artifact from one of the most distinctive matches in the Mysterio-Punk rivalry. The outcome at Over the Limit 2010 may be well remembered by WWE fans, but Mysterio’s latest comments reveal that the aftermath was preserved in a very literal way. A portion of CM Punk’s shaved hair, dated and stored in Mysterio’s album, remains a memento of the day Rey Mysterio won a high-stakes WWE wager.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.