AJ Lee is taking a cautious approach to her WWE return, prioritizing her mental health above all else. The former Divas Champion returned to the company in September 2025, competing for the first time since her retirement a decade ago. Her first match back saw her team with her husband, CM Punk, to defeat Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins. Now, she is set to step into the double-cage structure at Survivor Series: WarGames.
During an appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast, Lee opened up about her mindset regarding her schedule. She admitted that she initially considered a very limited run to avoid the burnout she experienced at the end of her first tenure.
“There was this world in which it was just like a one-and-done,” Lee said. “Where it was just like, come back and have fun and see how you feel.” Lee explained that preserving her mental well-being is the primary reason she has been careful about accepting bookings. However, the opportunity to work with the specific group of women involved in the WarGames match was a major factor in her decision to commit to the event.
“And that’s been a big thing too, because of — I never wanted to feel how I felt mentally to where my last year was very hard for me,” Lee said. “And so, I have been a little trepidatious in what I’m committing to and what I can handle. And part of the appeal of ‘Okay, let’s keep doing this’ was that group of women [in WarGames]. And being like, ‘Oh, I’m a fan of all of them. I’ll be so happy to just be surrounded by them and get to work with them.’ To just kind of hang out with them in that way of, okay, trust this group. I give so much credit to the women [for making] it very appealing.”
She noted how different the landscape is today compared to when she first broke into the business, highlighting that the current generation is valued for their skills first.
“To see every single woman on the roster is so talented and different and special,” Lee said. “And their looks are like the 10th most interesting thing about them. They have so many skills and are, they’re people that I would have been a fan of as a kid. And to see that and somehow come back and play with them is, it’s insane. It really is.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit ‘What’s Your Story?’ with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. Watch the full interview on the WWE YouTube channel.
AJ Lee will team with Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Charlotte Flair, and Alexa Bliss to face Becky Lynch, Asuka, Kairi Sane, Nia Jax, and Lash Legend in the Women’s WarGames Match this Saturday, November 29. The Survivor Series: WarGames Premium Live Event will air live from Petco Park in San Diego at 7 p.m. ET on the ESPN app in the United States and on Netflix internationally.
