CM Punk Says WWE Had Plans for AJ Lee Even Without an In-Ring Return

CM Punk opened up about his wife AJ Lee’s WWE comeback and revealed that even if she wasn’t physically able to wrestle again, the company was ready to welcome her back in another role.

In an interview with ESPN to promote Wrestlepalooza, Punk said WWE made it clear that AJ didn’t need to be an in-ring competitor to have a spot in the company.

“I think even if the door was closed for her to come back and be a competitor or be an on-screen talent, I think the idea was, ‘Hey, if you wanna do anything here. If there’s anything you wanna promote, if you wanna come back and be an ambassador, you [Big E] do amazing work. I think the genesis of everything was just a conversation.’”

AJ Lee walked away from WWE back in 2015, citing both injuries and the sense that she had already accomplished her goals in the business. During her absence, she became an accomplished author and a strong voice in mental health advocacy, keeping her distance from pro wrestling for nearly a decade.

Her long-awaited return finally came on the September 5 episode of SmackDown after weeks of teases. And now, at Wrestlepalooza, AJ Lee will wrestle her first match in over ten years when she teams with CM Punk against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in a blockbuster mixed tag team showdown.

AJ Lee’s comeback is already one of the most talked-about moments in WWE this year, and pairing her with Punk against another wrestling power couple adds even more heat to the story. Fans are eager to see how she performs after so long away from the ring and what this could mean for her future in WWE beyond tonight’s match.

AJ Lee is officially back in WWE, and her return at Wrestlepalooza will have fans glued to their screens.