Following her return on WWE Friday Night SmackDown, a new report from Fightful Select has provided more details on the contract status of former Divas Champion AJ Lee. The report confirms that she has signed a new WWE contract and that her return is not planned to be a one-off appearance.
The report notes that while the specifics of her new schedule have not been confirmed, her return is not intended to be a single match. “We’re told this isn’t planned to be a one-off,” the report states. This was officially confirmed when WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque posted a video of Lee signing her new contract shortly after her appearance on SmackDown.
The return of AJ Lee was a well-kept secret backstage, similar to the recent return of Brock Lesnar. According to the report, she was not listed on the internal rundowns for the show. However, many in the company assumed she was coming back after the angle at Clash in Paris and “didn’t think WWE would be so heavy-handed about it without a plan.” The excitement for her return was high backstage, as the report notes that “a few talent backstage at SmackDown who weren’t scheduled for the show [attended] in order to see AJ’s return.”
The report also sheds light on the reaction from the women’s locker room. “A number of women’s wrestlers specifically who grew up on AJ Lee who were very excited,” the report states. One veteran who never had the chance to work with Lee was “shocked it happened,” because in the past, her husband CM Punk would usually dismiss any questions about a potential return, likely out of respect for her wishes.
AJ Lee’s return on SmackDown saw her confront Becky Lynch to even the odds for her husband, CM Punk, in his feud with Seth Rollins. The segment set up a mixed tag team match pitting the two couples against each other, which is reportedly planned for the upcoming Wrestlepalooza premium live event on September 20. This would be her first match in over a decade. The full report can be found on Fightful Select.
