AJ Lee made her return to a WWE ring for the first time in over ten years at Saturday’s Wrestlepalooza, and she has now shared her thoughts on the emotional and physical experience. Appearing on the official post-show for the premium live event, Lee admitted that while she had a lot of fun, the physical toll of wrestling was a reminder of the sport’s demands.
In the semi-main event of the show, Lee teamed with her husband, CM Punk, to defeat the duo of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, with Lee securing the victory by making Lynch submit to her “Black Widow” hold. “It’s been a minute. Everything hurts way more than I remember. But that was a lot of fun,” Lee said during the post-show interview.
Beyond the physicality of the match, she was asked by Big E about the impact she has had on the current generation of female wrestlers and the connection she has with her fans. Lee explained that connecting with her audience, especially on the topic of mental health, is the most meaningful part of her career. “It is the most meaningful thing I can ever do is connect with my fans, particularly with young women, and connect on a mental health topic. It’s the greatest thing I’ll ever do in my life,” she said. “I was built to take your stories and be a part of your journey and just help you realize you are not alone, but I hope my fans know in my hard times, they helped me not feel alone”.
Lee, who retired in 2015, returned to a vastly different women’s division than the one she left. “Everyone was so welcoming and kind and complimentary in a way that made me feel like, oh, I did something and it meant something to these wonderfully talented women,” she said.
“To be a tiny piece of their journey is so humbling. I’m so proud of them, like a mama, and they’re wonderful, and I’m happy to be in their presence in the locker room, but the evolution of the women has been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. They deserved it ten years ago, they deserve it now, they deserve even more in the next ten years.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit WWE’s YouTube channel with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
