AJ Lee’s first match in nearly a decade is in the books, as she successfully teamed with her husband CM Punk to defeat World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch at last night’s inaugural Wrestlepalooza.
The comeback was capped off when Lee forced the reigning Women’s Intercontinental Champion, Becky Lynch, to tap out to the Black Widow.
The performance has apparently earned rave reviews backstage. A report from Fightful Select indicates the reception to Lee’s return match was overwhelmingly positive, with fellow WWE talent seeing no signs of ring rust from the former champion.
Any concerns about her old neck injury, previously voiced by both Lee and Punk, were quickly put to rest. Sources noted she was in incredible physical shape, crisply executing moves like a Thesz Press and a crossbody during the bout, which took place on September 20.
Lee herself seemed to feel the same way about her comeback performance, which followed her WWE return on September 5 when she attacked Lynch. Speaking on the Wrestlepalooza post-show, she described the experience after being away for so long.
“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.”
She also had high praise for the evolution of the women’s division since her retirement in 2015.
“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. 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.”
By submitting the champion, Lee has immediately positioned herself in the title picture. While no future plans have been officially announced following her triumphant return, a championship showdown with Becky Lynch seems inevitable.