CM Punk has revealed that even if his wife, AJ Lee, had not been physically able to return to the ring, the door was open for her to make a comeback to WWE in a different capacity. In an interview with ESPN to promote tonight’s Wrestlepalooza event, Punk discussed the circumstances surrounding his wife’s return after a decade away from wrestling.
He acknowledged that there were question marks about a potential in-ring return, not only due to her past issues with management but also because of her history of injuries. Punk stated that even if a wrestling role was off the table, WWE had expressed interest in bringing her back in a non-wrestling role, such as a company ambassador.
He said: “I think even if the door was closed for her to come back and be a competitor or be an on-screen talent, I think the idea was, ‘Hey, if you wanna do anything here. If there’s anything you wanna promote, if you wanna come back and be an ambassador, you [Big E] do amazing work. I think the genesis of everything was just a conversation.”
AJ Lee retired from professional wrestling in 2015, citing injuries and a feeling that she had accomplished all of her goals in the industry. During her time away, she became a successful author and mental health advocate, largely stepping away from the wrestling world. Her return on the September 5 episode of SmackDown was expected as it had been heavily teased on TV.
Tonight at Wrestlepalooza, in what will be her first match in over a decade, AJ Lee will team with CM Punk to face the husband-and-wife duo of Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch in a mixed tag team match. Check out the clip below:
Cm Punk talks about what the process of getting AJ Lee back into the ring and back in WWE was like. #WrestlePalooza
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) September 19, 2025
