For the past few weeks, there have been rumors swirling around the wrestling world about a possible return of former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee.
Fans were particularly excited when the 2025 Royal Rumble rolled around as they hoped to see Lee make a surprise appearance. Unfortunately, fans were let down when Lee did not compete in the event at all.
The rumors started to gain traction because of Lee’s husband, CM Punk. During a Royal Rumble women’s version, there was a surprise interview in the back where Punk was asked if there were any surprises for the women’s Royal Rumble.
He said there was a big surprise of someone returning and everyone thought it was Lee that he was talking about. The speculation only got stronger with his playful banter with the audience during the Royal Rumble kick off when Punk made fun of AJ Lee shippers.”
CM Punk Addresses Speculation
CM Punk tried to get ahead of the rumors while on set of The Pat McAfee Show and said, “There are no clues. She’s at home watching Larry [their dog]”. This attempt seemed to discount any chances of hopes of a return by Lee to the WWE which is why he made his statement in that form.
Even with all the clarifications from punk, there seems to be talk internally in WWE that they would not be surprised with AJ Lee coming back. They say WWE is excited about it, but from what is known regarding Lee, she has no plans to step back into wrestling anytime soon.
There are many reasons why Lee has remained retired, which has been the case since 2015 when she left the ring. Following her retirement, she has also pursued different ventures including writing a book and starting a new production company alongside a colleague.
These efforts underscore her concentration on things besides the wrestling arena. Beyond that, the 37 year old ex champion has been dealing with some health issues, including a neck injury that was part of the reason why she decided to retire.
The other demands of wrestling, along with what she is currently doing, may greatly influence her decision not to participate in bouts anymore.