Following her shocking return on WWE Friday Night SmackDown, new details have emerged regarding AJ Lee’s contract status.
According to a report from Fightful Select, the former Divas Champion has officially signed a new WWE deal, and her return is not designed to be a one-off appearance.
The report confirms that while the specifics of Lee’s new schedule have not yet been revealed, her comeback is meant to be more than just a single match. “We’re told this isn’t planned to be a one-off,” the report stated.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque confirmed the news shortly after her return by posting a video of Lee signing her contract backstage at the Allstate Arena in Chicago.
Lee’s return was kept tightly under wraps, with her name absent from internal rundowns for SmackDown. However, many within WWE suspected it was coming following the setup at Clash in Paris.
The secrecy created buzz backstage, and Fightful noted that “a few talent backstage at SmackDown who weren’t scheduled for the show [attended] in order to see AJ’s return.”
The women’s locker room reaction was especially strong, with several stars who grew up watching Lee thrilled to see her back. One veteran talent, who never worked with her previously, was described as “shocked it happened,” given that CM Punk often dismissed any speculation about his wife returning to the ring.
AJ’s return segment saw her attack Becky Lynch to even the odds in Punk’s rivalry with Seth Rollins, setting the stage for a blockbuster mixed tag team match at Wrestlepalooza on September 20. If confirmed, the bout will mark Lee’s first in-ring appearance in over a decade.
