Natalya believes AJ Lee is prepared for an in-ring return after a decade of inactivity. The veteran performer stated on Busted Open that Lee should be driven by a desire for revenge. This motivation stems from the ongoing angle involving Lee’s husband, CM Punk, and his antagonists, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. Natalya specifically referenced Lynch slapping Punk as the primary trigger for a comeback.
She believes the physical confrontation should provide a powerful emotional charge for Lee.
“If I saw my husband getting slapped by Becky Lynch, Becky Lynch would be having her a– handed to her,” Natalya said. “I would expect A.J. to wanna m–der Becky in a wrestling sense, the proverbial wrestling sense.“
Natalya also noted Lee’s physical condition. She saw a picture of the former champion a few months ago and observed that Lee looked “jacked.”
“In my personal, professional opinion, I think she is ready to go. Yeah, absolutely,” Natalya concluded.
Her comments arrive amidst strong industry reporting of Lee’s imminent return. According to WWE sources cited by Fightful Select, Lee’s return is considered a “lock” to either be announced or occur at the September 5 Friday Night SmackDown in Chicago. The return is reportedly aimed at building a mixed tag team match for Wrestlepalooza on September 20, pitting Lee and Punk against Lynch and Rollins.
Speculation was further substantiated by a since-deleted social media post from the official WWE Shop account. The post referenced new merchandise being prepared for Lee’s return in time for Wrestlepalooza. Punk also fueled the rumors with a cryptic post on his Instagram account.
During the interview, Natalya also praised Lee for her historical impact. She credited Lee, Saraya, and The Bella Twins for having the courage to demand more for the women’s division at a time when Natalya was afraid to speak up.
“F–k, I am so happy and proud of them for speaking up, standing up for the division when I didn’t have the courage to do that because I was so scared,” Natalya admitted. “I was so scared of Vince (McMahon) or somebody being mad at me…But during that time, we needed someone to speak up, and say, no, we need more than 30 seconds for a match.” h/t Fightful.