A potential return for AJ Lee has been strongly teased for this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown in Chicago. The tease came at the end of a volatile segment on tonight’s Raw in Paris between CM Punk and Becky Lynch, which saw Lynch repeatedly slap Punk in the face.
The confrontation began when Punk called out World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, seeking revenge for Lynch costing him the title at Clash in Paris. Instead, he was met by Lynch, who shut down the crowd’s loud “AJ Lee” chants by telling them “she doesn’t work here anymore.” After a heated verbal exchange, which included Punk calling Rollins a “bum,” Lynch slapped Punk multiple times. Punk refused to retaliate but warned her she would regret touching him.
Later in the show, an enraged Punk was seen looking for Rollins backstage. When Raw General Manager Adam Pearce informed him that Rollins had left the building, Punk asked where this week’s SmackDown was taking place. Pearce confirmed it was in Punk’s hometown of Chicago, to which Punk simply replied, “Tremendous.” The comment was a clear implication that he knows someone in Chicago who can help him deal with his new problem with Becky Lynch.
The events on Raw are the latest in a series of teases for a potential AJ Lee return. Following Lynch’s interference at Clash in Paris, the WWE post-show panel, including Big E, openly speculated about the possibility. According to a report from Fightful Select, Lee’s name has been mentioned in several recent internal creative pitches, and the ideas have gained more traction than in previous years.
The combination of the on-screen storyline, the upcoming show in Punk’s hometown, and the internal discussions have all pointed toward a potential return for Lee, who has been retired from in-ring competition since March 2015.