AJ Lee’s Return Was A “Curtain Sellout” Backstage

AJ Lee’s return finally happened after over a decade. She’s currently feuding with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch after the latter attacked CM Punk. This wasn’t a shocking return; there had already been strong rumors about Lee’s return to WWE, and it happened in Chicago’s AllState Arena.

Her return has garnered over 130 million views across WWE’s social media platforms, and it shows that everyone wanted her back. It wasn’t just the fans who were waiting for her return; even many WWE stars backstage were present to witness it happen live.

AJ Lee’s Returned To WWE After 10 Years

For those who weren’t watching WWE a decade back, things were different. Women wrestlers weren’t treated like a big deal as today, but there were a lot of talented stars on the roster. AJ Lee was one of them. She had charisma and was good in the ring as well. Fans wanted to see more of her, but the women’s revolution in WWE hadn’t happened yet.

After Punk left WWE on bad terms, Lee also departed and left the business. It wasn’t completely because of Punk’s dispute with the company. Lee also had neck issues that led to her retirement. For years, fans asked her to return.

While Lee did make her wrestling return in 2021, it was as the executive producer of the Women of Wrestling promotion. She left from there in 2023, and fans wondered if she’d now return to AEW. Around that time, CM Punk was working for AEW so this made sense. However, The Cult of Personality clearly said it’s not happening.

“The reason she stopped wrestling is because of her neck. She’s got a bad neck, you know. I wouldn’t want her to jeopardize [her] health and neither would she, so we’ll put an end to that rumor right now.” (H/T NYPost)

But that didn’t stop the fans from wishing it would happen, because at one point, CM Punk also said he’s never coming back until he did. There were rumors here and there, around Royal Rumble this year, but they didn’t have any weight to them.

Things changed in the past few weeks, after Becky Lynch cost CM Punk the World Heavyweight Title match at Clash in Paris. Wrestling Observer and Fightful said it’s happening on SmackDown, and WWE didn’t disappoint.

Many Wrestlers Attended The Show To Watch Her Return Live

A new report from Fightful says that AJ Lee’s return was a secret backstage. It doesn’t seem like many people believed that, because almost every fan who watched SmackDown knew she was coming. Even backstage, many wrestlers had come to the arena who weren’t working that night just so they could watch AJ Lee live. It was a “curtain sellout,” as many are calling it.

While it hasn’t been confirmed yet, AJ Lee is likely going to team up with her husband, CM Punk, to take on Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins at the WrestlePalooza premium live event. There are only a few weeks left until the show, and currently, Lee is scheduled for the September 8 edition of Raw. So fans will likely see some storyline development there.