After 10 years away from WWE, former three-time Divas Champion AJ Lee officially ended her retirement. Her return to the ring on SmackDown featured a massive pop from fans as she headed to the ring and attacked Becky Lynch.
That all was part of the buildup to AJ’s first match back, which will feature her teaming up with her husband, CM Punk. They’ll face the husband-and-wife duo of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
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That takes place at Wrestlepalooza, which is the first official WWE premium live event presented by ESPN.
While the initial reason fans saw for AJ’s WWE return was to stand up to Becky after she’d been berating and hitting Punk, AJ had some other significant reasons that she opted to end her retirement.
On Wednesday, she appeared as a guest via video chat on ESPN, which will present the upcoming event on its new ESPN Unlimited app.
Asked about how her big Wrestlepalooza match came about, AJ said that her return to WWE had been something discussed as an option for several years.
“I was very comfortable staying retired, and I felt very complete in my career. So, I’ve always said to do something to embark on a new journey, it has to feel brand new. It has to feel like I’m needed,” she said.
“It has to feel exciting and kind of scary. And so starting this new chapter on ESPN feels like a whole new mountain the company needs to climb. And I was flattered that they believed that I could help sort of draw eyeballs in that way,” AJ said.
Along with that, she praised her opponent, Becky, indicating she was “interesting” and “wonderful in the ring.” AJ also said this match was an “exciting” opportunity since she felt Becky might not be easy to “get back in the ring with.”
AJ admitted that the most challenging part about returning to WWE is that she’d been away for 10 years and was content as a behind-the-scenes artist, rather than being in the spotlight. She said managing her stress and anxiety to keep herself even has been “the biggest hurdle so far.”
Along with those remarks, AJ indicated that potential ring rust after a 10-year absence is a legitimate concern, but also noted that her unpredictable nature makes her a tough opponent to prepare for.
Fortunately, she’ll be participating in her return match with some of the best in the business, including her husband, CM Punk.
Their mixed tag team match at Saturday’s Wrestlepalooza is part of a massive card that also features a match to determine the new WWE Women’s Champion, and John Cena facing Brock Lesnar amid Cena’s retirement tour.
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