After ten years away from competition, AJ Lee is preparing for her in-ring return at this weekend’s Wrestlepalooza. Yet according to her, the toughest part of the comeback isn’t physical—it’s the mental challenge of stepping back into the spotlight. Her return on the September 5 episode of SmackDown immediately reignited buzz around her name and placed her in a main-event program.
In an interview with ESPN’s Sports Center, Lee was open about the personal hurdles she has faced.
“Quite honestly, managing my anxiety. I get a little nervous with attention,” Lee admitted. “I’ve been very comfortable as a writer and a producer the past 10 years, sort of being behind-the-scenes, and creating worlds, and I don’t have to be the art – I kind of liked being the artist. But now to sort of be both and to create this cool world and have people looking at me, is a little stressful, but I am very good at managing my anxiety now, and I can balance it and keep myself sort of even. But the mental part has been the biggest hurdle so far.” (h/t WrestleTalk)
Lee’s return comes alongside her husband, CM Punk, who has described the opportunity to team with her again as “a dream come true.” Punk even skipped a movie premiere to prioritize their renewed partnership. At Wrestlepalooza, the couple will share the ring against World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch.
The mixed tag team match is being billed as one of the cornerstone bouts of the first-ever Wrestlepalooza, an event rooted in ECW history that WWE is positioning as a flagship show. It also marks the next escalation in the year-long rivalry between Punk and Rollins, now with both of their partners drawn into the fight.