AJ Lee Isn’t Just Back for a Cup of Coffee, She’s Here for the Whole Pot
Well, folks, hold onto your Chuck Taylors. In a move that sent shockwaves through the wrestling world and probably caused a few older fans to check if their pacemakers were still working, AJ Lee is officially back in a WWE ring. After a decade-long hiatus that felt like an eternity, the “Black Widow” of the Divas era made a jaw-dropping return on SmackDown, and it looks like she’s not just here for a quick nostalgia trip.
For those of you who might’ve been living under a rock or, you know, had a social life for the past week, let’s recap. The September 5th episode of Friday Night SmackDown ended in chaos, as it so often does. CM Punk and Becky Lynch were trading verbal barbs, Becky slapped Punk (again), and just when you thought it was going to be another standard “my spouse is tougher than your spouse” segment, the iconic first notes of “Let’s Light It Up” hit the speakers. The Chicago crowd absolutely lost its collective mind, and out skipped AJ Lee, looking like she hadn’t aged a day since 2015, before promptly laying out “The Man.”
It was a perfectly executed return that left fans screaming, crying, and frantically searching for their old “Love Bites” t-shirts. But the biggest question on everyone’s mind was: Is this a one-off? Is she just here to team up with her husband for a single match? Thankfully, the answer seems to be a resounding “no.”
What Does AJ Lee’s Full-Time Contract Mean for WWE?
According to reports from Bodyslam.net, which were later echoed by Sports Illustrated, Lee didn’t just sign on for a quick cameo. She inked a “multi-year, full-time contract.” Let that sink in. This isn’t a legends’ night appearance or a brief angle to pop a rating. As Bodyslam put it, “AJ is back for real, and she’s ready to shake up the women’s division all over again.”
This is fantastic news for a women’s division that, while talented, could always use a jolt of veteran electricity. Lee was a trailblazer, a geek goddess who was “crazy” before it was cool and carried a division on her back when 30-second bathroom break matches were still the norm. Her record-setting 295-day Divas Championship reign wasn’t just a number; it was a statement. She proved that a woman could be a top-tier merchandise seller, a compelling character, and a damn good wrestler all at once.
Her return injects a level of star power and unpredictability that has been sorely missed. Sure, the inevitable mixed tag match against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch at Wrestlepalooza is practically written in the stars at this point. And honestly, who isn’t excited for the promo battles alone? But the real excitement lies in what comes after.
A Whole New World of Dream Matches for Lee
The WWE women’s locker room of 2025 is a far cry from the one AJ Lee left behind. The “Divas Revolution” she helped spark has blossomed into a full-blown era of women’s wrestling. The opponents are fresh, the stakes are higher, and the potential for five-star classics is off the charts.
Imagine AJ Lee stepping into the ring with Rhea Ripley. The clash of Ripley’s raw power against Lee’s cunning and technical prowess would be a sight to behold. Or what about a feud with Bayley and the rest of Damage CTRL? The promos would be gold. There are also rising stars like Roxanne Perez, who has been vocal for years about Lee being her inspiration. A program between them would be a beautiful passing-of-the-torch story.
Lee was always a master of character work, capable of being a sympathetic babyface, a conniving heel, or a chaotic neutral force all in the same feud. That versatility will be her greatest asset. She can elevate new talent, have blockbuster feuds with established stars, and maybe, just maybe, remind everyone why she was one of the best of her generation.
After retiring in 2015, she didn’t just sit at home. She became a New York Times Best Selling author with her memoir Crazy Is My Superpower, wrote comic books, and even penned a screenplay. She returns to wrestling not because she has to, but because it seems she wants to. And a motivated AJ Lee is a dangerous AJ Lee. Welcome back, Queen. We’ve missed the chaos.
