AJ Lee’s recent return to WWE has proven just how influential she was during her first run, as fans have been absolutely overjoyed by her comeback and greeted her with massive reactions. During the Divas era, AJ Lee helped to force change in WWE for the women’s roster, and fans began to see signs of this in 2014 and 2015. At the same time, NXT’s women’s division was on the rise, prompting the boom of Paige as the ultimate “anti-Diva”. She arrived on the main roster and sparked a feud with AJ Lee, a rivalry that fans believed would carry WWE into the next era of women’s wrestling, and perhaps even be the “Trish vs. Lita” of the time. However, this feud failed miserably, and it is the perfect time for WWE to rectify their previous mistakes.
AJ Lee Vs. Paige Was Supposed To Be Special In WWE
- Paige debuted on Raw after WrestleMania to beat AJ Lee for the Divas Championship.
- These two names were important to WWE’s women’s revolution.
- Fans were excited for their feud in WWE.
When Paige made her main roster call-up to upset AJ Lee in an all-time great ‘RAW After WrestleMania’ moment, fans expected something special to spawn out of the women’s division. They were ready to see a change for the Divas era, and this was the feud to unlock it. At the time, AJ Lee was running the division as someone who had broken the mold of what WWE often looked for in a top female star, both when it comes to strong in-ring performances (for the time) and supreme work on the mic as a character.
In NXT, Paige was also standing out as someone who didn’t quite fit the typical WWE stereotype for a female wrestler, and fans absolutely loved it. She was impressive in a big way, especially after a show-stealing match with Emma in NXT that was better than anything the main roster had produced for years. Paige and AJ Lee felt like the two pioneers to take women’s wrestling to the next level, and putting them together was an absolute no-brainer. Paige’s upset win was a great moment, although it did come in a remarkably short match. Many were open to forgiving the length of it due to the moment, but this was simply just a sign of bad things to come for this feud.
WWE Mishandled AJ Lee Vs. Paige
- WWE ruined Paige’s character and potential by making her a cheesy rookie.
- The storytelling in this feud was weird, with Paige acting obsessive before turning on AJ.
- WWE made Nikki Bella the face of the division.
Paige’s Divas Title win resulted in a few months of poor character development. AJ Lee took an absence from TV, leaving the main roster rookie to try and lead the entire division by herself — something she was arguably not ready for. WWE abandoned much of her ‘anti-Diva’ persona, replacing her with a plucky, cheesy rookie who fans steadily began to turn against. It got to the point where WWE were forced into turning Paige heel due to the failure to make things work as a babyface. AJ Lee would return, goad Paige into a title rematch, and beat her for the title. Fans were finally ready to see this feud… but things continued down a negative route.
WWE ran with a weird obsessive storyline in which Paige began acting as though she was AJ Lee’s friend in an angle that felt like it was straight out of the Divas era, rather than something to drive the division forwards. Paige eventually turned against AJ Lee in one of the least surprising turns ever, prompting a few fine but underwhelming matches between the pair. WWE simply didn’t give them enough time to tell a story or steal a show. They made use of the time they had, but you can only do so much with 8 minutes, 5 minutes, and 6 minutes on PPV. At the time, Nikki Bella was on the verge of a push too, so WWE opted to make her the face of the division, with Paige and AJ Lee falling to the wayside, wasting their rivalry.
WWE Can Run This Feud Back In 2025
- AJ Lee returned to WWE in 2025.
- Paige is now a free agent after a stint in WEW.
- These two are owed a second chapter in their rivalry.
It has been ten years since Paige and AJ Lee shared a ring, but it isn’t too late for WWE to do them justice. AJ Lee returned to WWE in 2025 on a multi-year deal, kickstarting a brand new chapter in her career. Coincidentally, Paige is now a free agent once again after parting ways with AEW, where she won the AEW Women’s World Championship and restarted her career after previously being forced into retirement through injury.
There is no guarantee that either woman will be at the same level they were in 2014, but if WWE were to bring in Paige and give these two time to tell a real, authentic, and strong story, plus being handed more than a handful of minutes in the ring, then the outcome would be infinitely better than it was a decade ago. There is an unfinished story to tell that the fans would certainly get into, and WWE can finally fix a drastic mistake that they made in the past.
