AJ Lee made a stunning return to WWE on SmackDown, and fans are ecstatic to see the former three-time Divas Champion back in the company. The 38-year-old had retired from WWE back in 2015, but after a decade away, she has returned to come to her real-life husband CM Punk‘s aid.
AJ Lee Makes Earth-Shattering WWE Return
It was the worst-kept secret in pro wrestling, although fans were still cautious because of the length of time AJ Lee had spent away from the business. Despite various reports, some fans had concluded that WWE were throwing a curveball and CM Punk would instead be partnered by Rhea Ripley or Bayley, among other potential candidates.
Seth Rollins introduced his wife, Becky Lynch, as “the greatest women’s wrestler in history” and had promised that the legend of Punk would die tonight. That wasn’t the case, though, as the Second City Saint was live and in living colour to first tease alternatives before letting the pair know that he hadn’t come to Allstate Arena alone.
Hell froze over for a second time as AJ made her return to one of the loudest pops of the TKO era, to light up the arena and Lynch’s face with a slap. She celebrated with Punk, ending the show with a massive grin on her face.
AJ’s return match will likely come at Wrestlepalooza on September 20 to team up with Punk to face Lynch and Rollins in a mixed tag team match. It could be the second match announced for the PLE, following John Cena and Brock Lesnar’s singles match that was confirmed earlier in the night.
Fans Explode After AJ Lee Returns
AJ Lee’s return can be compared to CM Punk’s at Survivor Series in November 2023, in terms of hype and fan response, as the roof came off inside Allstate Arena when her theme song hit. The crowd were heard chanting her name throughout the night, including during John Cena’s promo to open the show.
It might be a while before #AJLee stops trending on X (formerly Twitter) as the pro wrestling world now discusses what’s on the horizon. Fightful Select reports that this might not be a one-off appearance and that she could be set for an extended run.
One fan said:
“Crying tears of joy right now.”
Another hailed the return:
“Just stood up at 3am and started applauding.”
One fan couldn’t hide their joy:
“Knowing ahead of time didn’t ruin it. I’m so freaky excited! AJ LEE! Is BACK!!!!”
Another is hyped for the tag match:
“We are back Go beat Becky’s ass now.”
Corey Graves had said on commentary that he had a feeling we would be talking about this episode of SmackDown for a long time to come. The SmackDown commentator wasn’t lying as WWE has brought back one of the pioneers of the women’s division, which opens the door for some dream matches, including a potential match against Jade Cargill, whom she’s admired since watching her compete in AEW.
