AJ Lee and CM Punk now hold the distinction of having the two most-shared video clips in the history of WWE’s official Twitter account. The clip featuring Punk is from his return at Survivor Series in 2023, which previously held the top spot alone.
Lee’s new record-setting clip captures her return to the company on the September 5 edition of SmackDown in Chicago. The segment, which went viral and garnered millions of views within hours, saw her confront Becky Lynch.
The confrontation began after Lynch slapped CM Punk multiple times in the ring. Punk stated that he would not retaliate against a woman but knew someone who would, which prompted Lee’s entrance. Lee then attacked Lynch and left the ring holding Lynch’s Women’s Intercontinental Championship.
Following the appearance, WWE confirmed that Lee has signed a full-time, multi-year contract. Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque posted a video of the signing on X. This marked Lee’s first physical involvement in a WWE ring since March 2015, when she retired due to cervical spine damage.
This segment was the culmination of escalating tensions, including Lynch hitting Punk with a low blow at Clash in Paris to help Seth Rollins retain the World Heavyweight Championship. Rollins also cut a promo saying Punk would “d—” in his hometown.