WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Nash has shared his thoughts on AJ Lee’s long-awaited return to the company, offering a creative critique of how the moment could have been handled for maximum impact. Speaking on his Kliq This podcast, Nash argued that Lee’s comeback would have been far more effective if she had dramatically altered her character presentation instead of relying on her classic persona.
Using one of wrestling’s most iconic transformations as an example, Nash compared the situation to Hulk Hogan’s heel turn in 1996. “If you go back in time, the nWo takes off, Hogan drops the leg, and then the next time you see Hulk, he’s still in the yellow and red. Does it work as well as Hollywood? You go with a complete change because now you’ve got some fucking intrigue,” he explained.
Nash felt that Lee’s decision to return with her signature skipping entrance didn’t align with the emotional stakes of the story, which saw her come to the aid of her husband CM Punk. “The reason she’s coming down is not to make some phony shit wrestling angle. The reason she’s coming down is because another woman is putting her hands on her husband, and he can’t do anything about it,” he said.
The WWE legend went on to describe how he would have booked the moment. “If she would have just stormed down and not even said a word, just went right to her and just pummeled the shit out of her, then if she wants to come out the next week and fucking skip, she can do all she wants. The first time you see her, though, it’s like she just showed up… and then the shit goes down, then she inserts herself.”
AJ Lee returned to WWE earlier this month on SmackDown, marking her first in-ring appearance in over a decade. Her return built toward a high-profile mixed tag team match at Crown Jewel, where she and Punk picked up the victory.
