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CHICAGO: Former Divas Champion AJ Lee stunned the wrestling world on Friday night as she made her long-awaited return to WWE after a decade, appearing on SmackDown to stand alongside her husband CM Punk.
Lee’s comeback came during a heated segment involving World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and his wife Becky Lynch, who have been embroiled in a rivalry with Punk in recent weeks.
As Lynch mocked Punk and his hometown, fans inside the United Center erupted into chants of “AJ Lee.”
Moments later, Punk confronted Rollins and Lynch, vowing never to lay hands on a woman, before declaring he knew someone who would.
The arena erupted as AJ Lee’s iconic music hit. She charged to the ring, spearing Lynch to a thunderous ovation and delivering a series of strikes before sending her rival scrambling.
SmackDown went off the air with CM Punk and AJ Lee embracing in the ring, while Rollins and Lynch looked on furiously from the ramp.
The dramatic return sets the stage for a blockbuster mixed tag team showdown at WrestlePalooza on September 20, with CM Punk and AJ Lee expected to face Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
Lee’s appearance marked her first in a WWE ring since the night after WrestleMania 31 in March 2015, when she retired at just 28 due to a serious cervical spine injury.
AJ LEE IS BACK IN @WWE 🔥pic.twitter.com/eghVEeKBro
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2025
During her career, she became the face of the Divas division, capturing the Divas Championship three times, including a 295-day reign, the second-longest in the title’s history.
Since retiring, Lee has largely stayed away from professional wrestling, aside from her stint as an executive producer for WOW – Women of Wrestling between 2021 and 2023.
Her husband, CM Punk, made his own WWE return in late 2023 after a turbulent spell with AEW, fueling speculation that she, too, might be tempted to step back into the spotlight.
That speculation intensified last month at Clash in Paris, where Becky Lynch’s interference cost Punk a shot at Seth Rollins’ title.
The fallout reignited the rivalry and planted seeds for AJ Lee’s comeback, which finally materialized in her hometown, setting up one of WWE’s most anticipated matches in recent memory.
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