For the first time since 2015, AJ Lee is once again victorious inside a WWE ring. At the first-ever Wrestlepalooza premium live event, she teamed with her husband CM Punk to defeat WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch. After securing the win for her team by forcing Lynch to submit, Lee gave her immediate reaction to the comeback.
Appearing on the Wrestlepalooza post-show, Lee reflected on what it felt like to compete after being away for nearly a decade.
“The match? It felt amazing. It was really surreal. It’s been a minute. Everything hurts way more than I remember. But that was a lot of fun.”
The conversation also touched on the significant changes within the company and the women’s locker room since her last run ended. Lee was effusive in her praise for the current roster and the progress they have made.
“I mean, everyone was so welcoming and so kind and so complementary in a way that made me feel like, oh! I did something and that it meant something to these wonderfully talented women,” she said. “To be any tiny piece of their journey is so humbling. I’m so proud of them, like a mama, and they’re wonderful and I’m happy to be in their presence in the locker room but, the evolution of the women has been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. They deserved it 10 years ago, they deserve it now, they deserve even more in the next 10 years.”
The co-main event saw Lee get the hot tag and become a heavy participant in the action, culminating in a wild sequence outside the ring where Lynch tossed Lee into Punk, who was on Rollins’ shoulders, sending all three crashing through an announce table. Back in the ring, Lee ultimately countered Lynch’s Manhandle Slam attempt, cinching in her signature Black Widow submission for the decisive tap-out.
Lee’s victory is more than just a successful comeback story. By submitting the reigning WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion—a title Lynch has held for most of the year—Lee has instantly established herself as a potential contender.