AJ Lee has officially returned to WWE, and according to reports from BodySlam.net, she’s not just here for a quick nostalgia pop—she’s signed a multi-year, full-time contract with the company. The former three-time WWE Divas Champion made her dramatic return on the September 5 edition of SmackDown, and the wrestling world collectively lost its mind. After ten years away from the business, AJ Lee strutted back into WWE like she never left.
Lee didn’t just show up to wave at the crowd at SmackDown and disappear into the night. Oh no, that would be too simple for someone who built her entire career on being delightfully unpredictable. She made her presence felt by holding up Becky Lynch’s Intercontinental Championship after SmackDown went off the air, because why not immediately insert yourself into championship conversations? It’s classic AJ, really.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect, or more suspicious, depending on how you look at it. With her husband CM Punk already back in the WWE fold and feuding with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, Lee’s return feels less like a coincidence and more like a carefully orchestrated family reunion.
Triple H, ever the social media maven, posted a video of Lee signing her new contract with the cryptic caption “Ink to paper…the calm before the storm.” Because apparently, WWE executives have taken poetry classes alongside their business degrees. But hey, at least we got confirmation that this isn’t some fever dream—AJ Lee is officially back in the WWE universe.
Here’s where things get interesting, and by interesting, I mean potentially chaotic in the best possible way. Lee hasn’t just signed any old contract—she’s committed to a multi-year, full-time deal. This isn’t your typical part-time legend appearance where someone shows up for WrestleMania season and then vanishes until the next Hall of Fame ceremony.
This full-time commitment is particularly noteworthy when you consider that even CM Punk doesn’t have a full-time deal with the company. So either WWE sees something special in Lee’s return, or someone in management really, really missed those chaotic promos about being the “longest-reigning Divas Champion in WWE history.”
If you thought WWE was going to bring back Lee without immediately pairing her with CM Punk for some mixed tag team action, you clearly haven’t been paying attention to how this company operates. The signs are all pointing toward a massive Mixed Tag Team Match at Wrestlepalooza on September 20, featuring Punk and Lee taking on Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
The storytelling possibilities are endless, and the in-ring chemistry should be off the charts. These are four performers who understand how to blur the lines between reality and kayfabe, and putting them all in the same match feels like the kind of chaos that wrestling fans live for.
Ten years is a long time to be away from any profession, let alone one as physically demanding as professional wrestling. Wrestling in 2025 is faster, more athletic, and more demanding than it was in 2015. But here’s the thing—if anyone can pull it off, it’s Lee. If she can adapt her style to fit the current landscape, this could be something special.
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