In what would be one of the most anticipated returns in recent memory, former three-time Divas Champion AJ Lee is reportedly set to wrestle her first match in over a decade. According to a new report from Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer, the plan is for Lee to team with her husband, CM Punk, to take on the husband-and-wife duo of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch at the upcoming Wrestlepalooza premium live event on September 20.
The report of the planned mixed tag team match comes just days after the controversial finish to the main event of the Clash in Paris premium live event. In that bout, Becky Lynch interfered to help her husband, Seth Rollins, retain the World Heavyweight Championship against CM Punk, Jey Uso, and LA Knight as Lynch hit Punk with a low blow. The angle immediately led to widespread fan speculation that it was designed to set up the in-ring return of AJ Lee to even the odds.
On Tuesday, Alvarez confirmed that this is indeed the working plan for the September 20 show, which will be the first WWE premium live event to air on ESPN. “So Punk & AJ vs. Seth & Becky is planned for WrestlePalooza,” Alvarez wrote to his subscribers on X.
If the match takes place, it will be AJ Lee’s first time competing in a wrestling ring since the March 30, 2015, episode of Monday Night Raw, which was the night after WrestleMania 31. On that show, she teamed with Paige and Naomi to defeat The Bella Twins and Natalya. She has been effectively retired for over a decade. Her last role in the wrestling industry was as an executive producer and color commentator for WOW (Women of Wrestling) from 2021 to 2023.
A recent Fightful Select report has indicated that there has been “more traction” than ever before on a potential AJ Lee return to WWE. WWE sources had reportedly noted that her name had been brought up in numerous internal pitches and that those pitches were not being shut down as they had been in the past. It was also noted that a WWE higher-up was not concerned about her long layoff, especially given her husband’s own successful return after a lengthy absence.
The event is also expected to feature a vacant Women’s World Title match and a singles match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar. The full report from Bryan Alvarez can be found on his subscriber X account.
