New footage recorded by a fan shows CM Punk reacting emotionally after SmackDown went off the air in Chicago this past Friday. The video captures Punk in tears following the return of his wife, AJ Lee, who appeared in a WWE ring for the first time in over a decade.
Lee’s appearance occurred during the show’s main event segment. She made a run-in to confront Becky Lynch, directly responding to Lynch and Seth Rollins antagonizing Punk in his hometown. The return was a significant moment backstage, reportedly drawing a “curtain sellout” as numerous WWE superstars gathered at the entryway to watch.
The physical confrontation saw Lee attack Lynch, leaving her standing tall in the ring with the Women’s Intercontinental Championship as the segment concluded.
After the broadcast ended, Punk and Lee shared an in-ring celebration, receiving a massive ovation from the crowd inside the Allstate Arena.
The animosity between Lynch and Punk has been growing since Clash in Paris. At PLE, Lynch interfered in the main event, costing Punk his match for the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins.
In the weeks that followed, Lynch continued to provoke Punk, slapping him multiple times during a segment on Monday Night Raw, setting the stage for Lee’s eventual return.