AJ Lee is officially back in WWE. During the September 5 edition of SmackDown in Chicago, Lee made her return after a decade-long absence, signing a new contract with the company. The appearance saw Lee get involved in CM Punk’s ongoing feud, attacking Becky Lynch and chasing her from the ring, forcing Lynch to retreat into the arms of her husband, World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
Following the event, CM Punk posted a reaction to his wife’s return on his Instagram Story.
“When you don’t sleep because you don’t want to wake up and have it be a dream,” Punk wrote.
Lee’s return serves as a direct response to recent events in Punk’s career. The storyline stems from Lynch’s interference at Clash in Paris, which directly cost Punk his World Heavyweight Championship match against Rollins.
The confrontation on SmackDown is reportedly setting the stage for a mixed tag team match at Wrestlepalooza on September 20. Lee further fueled future speculation after the show, where she was seen holding Lynch’s WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, teasing a potential title program between the two.
This marks Lee’s first WWE appearance since her retirement in 2015 due to a spinal injury. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque confirmed the signing by posting a video of Lee putting pen to paper on her new contract before the show.
According to a report from Bodyslam, Lee has signed a multi-year, full-time deal, indicating that she is back as an active competitor and not just for a one-off appearance.