Will a Three-Time Divas Champion Return to Help CM Punk?
As the WWE wraps up its stay in Paris, one of the biggest talking points revolves around a wrestler who has not wrestled for the company in over a decade, AJ Lee. At Clash in Paris, the latest WWE Premium Live Event, Seth Rollins retained the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four-Way Match against CM Punk, LA Knight, and Jey Uso. The Visionary won the match with the assistance of his wife, Becky Lynch. Lynch, the current Women’s Intercontinental Champion, surprised everyone when she snuck in the ring, disguised in a black hoodie, and hit a low blow on the “Best in the World” when he had Rollins set up for the GTS. Rollins capitalized and hit a Curb Stomp on Punk to retain his title. Now, how does Lee fit into the equation? The former Divas Champion is the wife of CM Punk, and fans have been anticipating her return to help her husband fend off his foe and to get revenge on Lynch for costing her husband the title. The question now remains, will she make her return?
Lee has not stepped into a WWE ring since she announced her retirement from wrestling in 2015. She had to step away from the ring due to permanent damage to her cervical spine, making a return to the ring very risky. However, the women’s wrestling pioneer revealed in her memoir, which was released in 2017, that she also left for personal reasons. During her time in the WWE, AJ was one of the most popular stars of the women’s division, but the creative regime at the time focused more on superficial aspects of women than the actual wrestling itself. However, under the new creative regime headed by Triple H, that is no longer the case. Women’s wrestling is treated more seriously with respect towards women. The women’s division now is focused more on storytelling and wrestling, and giving women opportunities to succeed in the industry. Her husband’s relationship with the company was not always great, but over time, the two sides came together and hashed out their issues, and now the Second City Saint has been with the company for over two years. It seems like it is all lining up for Lee to return to the ring, and now the WWE has the right story for her to be inserted into.
On today’s episode of Raw, CM Punk called out Rollins to the ring only to be confronted by Lynch. As the Women’s IC Champ scolded Punk, the fans in attendance could be heard shouting Lee’s name. Lynch even took a shot at her in the process. Yet, the biggest moment of the night came when the seven-time world champion slapped Punk repeatedly in the face, essentially egging him on to do something. The Voice of the Voiceless told Lynch that she was going to regret putting her hands on him, and if Punk is not going to put his hands on Lynch, then maybe a two-time Divas Champion he has in a wife will. If there is one thing that the WWE likes to do, it is create moments, and there is no bigger moment right now than the return of a superstar that the fans have been clamoring for a long time. Now, the anticipation is building, the fans are excited, the story seems right, and it feels like this is the perfect time for a woman of the stature of AJ Lee to return to a place that she once called home.
