WWE Logo. (Image Credit: ANI)
Former three time Divas Champion AJ Lee would again be featured in WWE more than ten years later, on the September 5, 2025 episode of SmackDown in Chicago, the hometown of her husband CM Punk.
The segment broke out in the middle of an intense exchange between CM Punk and Becky Lynch, that was introduced by Seth Rollins. Lynch provoked the Chicago mob and assaulted their local hero, which resulted in being slapped by Punk several times. It became a different mood all together as fans started shouting the name AJ. Capitalising on the situation, Punk demanded her back and AJ Lee came back with cheers, bursting the ring and surprising Lynch, both her and Rollins clearly shaken.
This surprise return comes after years of conjecturing and was reportedly foreshadowed by a since deactivated WWE Shop post making a joke about her returning to the ring, which inevitably leaked part of the surprise to fans who were already overly excited by the news. The media had been covering every day that AJ was coming back and that WWE had a big mixed tag team match scheduled between AJ Lee and CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch at the next Wrestlepalooza event on September 20.
Other significant storylines were also presented in SmackDown, John Cena appeared in SmackDown for the last time, and Brock Lesnar appeared to the audience, which proved that a conflict was coming before their wrestlepalooza. Lesnar interrupted a fight between Sami Zayn and Cena, and the two went on to have their war.
It is not a comeback but a story game changer in AJ. She was forced to retire in 2015 because of a debilitating neck injury and her comeback highlights WWE becoming increasingly focused on incorporating its legacy talent. It also features an emotional and plot-filled setup, with Punk and Lee meeting in the ring in a role that many would have never imagined.
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