AJ Lee has made her shocking return to WWE for the first time in over a decade. On the September 5 episode of “Friday Night SmackDown” in Chicago, Illinois, the former Divas Champion appeared in the main event segment to confront Becky Lynch.
This sets the stage for a match at the upcoming WrestlePalooza Premium Live Event. The return, which took place in her husband CM Punk’s hometown, was met with a thunderous ovation from the live crowd.
AJ Lee’s Shocking Return in Chicago
The segment began with World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins introducing his wife, Becky Lynch. As Lynch began to run down CM Punk and the city of Chicago, the crowd broke into loud, sustained chants of “AJ Lee.”
Punk then made his entrance to confront Lynch, calling Rollins a coward for hiding behind his wife. After a tense verbal exchange, Lynch slapped Punk across the face. Punk responded that he would never put his hands on a woman, but that he knew someone who would.
At that moment, AJ Lee’s music hit, and she ran to the ring. A stunned Becky Lynch was met with a spear from Lee, who then unleashed a flurry of offense, sending “The Man” retreating up the ramp. The show went off the air with CM Punk and AJ Lee embracing in the middle of the ring as Rollins and Lynch looked on in fury.
The angle all but confirms the rumored mixed tag team match between the two couples for the WrestlePalooza event on September 20. The feud was ignited at the Clash in Paris premium live event, where Lynch interfered in the main event. She did so by delivering a low blow to Punk to help her husband, Seth Rollins, retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Lee’s return is a direct response to that attack, as she looks to even the odds for her husband.
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AJ Lee’s Comeback
This was Lee’s first appearance in a WWE ring since the night after WrestleMania 31 in March 2015. She retired from in-ring competition at the age of 28 due to permanent damage to her cervical spine.
Before her retirement, she was one of the most popular and influential female superstars of her era. A three-time Divas Champion, she held the title for a then-record 295 days. Her unique, “anti-diva” persona was a key precursor to the WWE Women’s Revolution.
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