It’s official: AJ Lee will compete in a WWE ring for the first time in over ten years at Wrestlepalooza. A blockbuster mixed tag team match was booked during the September 8 edition of Monday Night Raw, pitting Lee and her husband, CM Punk, against the duo of Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins. The premium live event is scheduled for September 20.
The high-stakes match was made following a tense in-ring confrontation that kicked off the second hour of Raw in Milwaukee. AJ Lee made her entrance holding the WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship, which she had stolen from Becky Lynch during her return on last week’s SmackDown. Addressing her decade-long absence, Lee spoke about her retirement, her journey focusing on mental health, and her belief that she had accomplished all her goals in wrestling.
Her promo was cut short by an irate Becky Lynch, who was met with a chorus of boos from the Fiserv Forum crowd. With a visible black eye from her previous encounter with Lee, Lynch demanded the return of her championship. The situation escalated when Seth Rollins emerged to back up his wife, telling Lee she didn’t understand how things worked on his show after being gone for so long.
In response, Lee laid down the challenge for Wrestlepalooza: she and Punk against Lynch and Rollins, with the title’s return on the line.
As Rollins verbally berated Lee, CM Punk appeared and made a beeline for the ring, attempting to hit a GTS on Rollins, who narrowly escaped. The physicality was enough to push Rollins into accepting the match. With the challenge locked in, Lee kissed the Intercontinental Championship before heaving it back at Lynch, cementing the massive bout for the upcoming event.
This marks a significant return to competition for Lee, who retired in April 2015 due to issues with her cervical spine.