AJ Lee made a blockbuster WWE return on this week’s episode of SmackDown. The Black Widow broke into her signature skippy steps and made her way to the ring as the Chicago crowd erupted in massive cheers, attacking Becky Lynch for putting her hands on her husband, CM Punk. Read on to find out the details of the new contract signed by Lee after ending her 10-year absence from pro wrestling.
The WWE Universe had been demanding the comeback of AJ Lee for several years, with the noise intensifying after CM Punk’s return at the 2023 Survivor Series. Interestingly, the former three-time Divas Champion isn’t just back, but is here to stay.
As reported by BodySlam+, The Black Widow has signed a multi-year deal with WWE. Moreover, she will be wrestling full-time instead of going with a part-time schedule, which most of the top stars have right now. Thus, fans could see her cutting a promo or fighting a match almost every week.
Following her return, Triple H uploaded a video to his official X account, showcasing AJ Lee signing her new contract before making her SmackDown appearance. The Chief Content Officer of WWE captioned the tweet and called the moment a calm before the storm.
Following her impactful return and attack on Becky Lynch, there’s a high chance that Lee could make an appearance on the upcoming episode of RAW on September 8. After all, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, and Lynch are part of the red-branded roster. She could deliver a segment that could have Adam Pearce officially announce a mixed tag team match between both couples at Wrestlepalooza.
AJ Lee Could Help CM Punk Destabilize The Vision
AJ Lee returned to support her husband, CM Punk. Notably, The Man joined her husband’s faction, The Vision, at the 2025 Clash in Paris. The Architect was defending the World Heavyweight Championship in a Fatal Four Way match against Punk, LA Knight, and Jey Uso.
The Second City Saint was about to land a GTS on Seth Rollins in the final moments of the match to win the WHC back. However, Big Time Becks attacked him with a low blow, enabling The Visionary to Curb Stomp Punk on a steel chair and retain his belt. Lynch even slapped The Straight Edge Superstar multiple times on this week’s episode of RAW as well as SmackDown.
With AJ Lee here to take care of Becky Lynch, The Revolutionary probably doesn’t have any more surprises up his sleeve. Given the number of enemies Rollins has made, Lee’s return could be the last piece of the puzzle that could destabilize The Vision. With this, Punk would stand a chance not just to win back the World Heavyweight Championship, but he could also get payback for WrestleMania 41 and Paul Heyman’s betrayal.
Potential feuds for AJ Lee
Becky Lynch could lose the Women’s Intercontinental Championship
After receiving a thrashing from AJ Lee, Becky Lynch fled the ring and exited the arena as the SmackDown episode ended. However, The Man left her Women’s Intercontinental Championship in the ring. As the show went off air, The Black Widow picked up the title and skipped in the ring, posing with it.
She even ran back to the ring to hold the IC title high a few more times as the fans of Chicago cheered for her. Thus, this clearly shows that the former three-time Divas Champion now has her eye on the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. Thus, she could challenge Lynch for her title down the line and possibly dethrone her.
AJ Lee could revive her rivalry with Nikki Bella
AJ Lee had teamed up with Paige (AEW’s Saraya) to defeat Brie and Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 31 on March 29, 2015, and on the RAW episode following WM31, Lee and Paige teamed up with Naomi to fight The Bella Twins once again, who were joined by Natalya, to secure a second victory. However, this was the last match fought by The Black Widow before she exited WWE.
Notably, Nikki Bella was the Divas Champion then and a big rival of Lee. The Bella Twins even secured the record for the longest Divas Championship run at 301 days, shattering AJ’s record of 295 days. The two icons of the Divas era could rekindle their rivalry and clash with each other in the ring once again, easily becoming a big draw for multiple premium live events.
A former WWE star could return to feud with The Black Widow
While Nikki Bella is a fierce rival of Lee, Paige is inarguably the biggest rival of The Black Widow. The Anti-Diva dethroned Lee on April 7, 2014, ending the then-Divas Champion’s first and longest run. Interestingly, this was the main roster debut of the NXT stalwart, who became the youngest Divas Champion in history at 21 by defeating Lee.
This loss came right after AJ had retained her in a grueling match against 13 superstars at WrestleMania XXX. The 2014 SummerSlam saw The Black Widow defend her title against Paige again, only to lose the belt to the Anti Diva for a second time.
Although Lee and Paige became friends later on, they still have a fierce competitive history. Moreover, Saraya is currently a free agent, and WWE could bring her back to set up an iconic feud between the duo.
Roxanne Perez can finally fulfil her dream
Roxanne Perez has been very open about her admiration for AJ Lee. The Judgment Day member sees the former three-time Divas Champion as her idol and has noted that the 38-year-old is her dream match opponent. Now that The Black Widow is back, The Prodigy’s wish to fight Lee can finally come true.
Triple H could set up a direct feud between Roxy and Lee or make The Judgment Day go after the newly returned star. This is a typical pattern that the heel faction follows, where they try to assert dominance over returning veterans like AJ Styles.
Which of these women do you wish to see Lee go up against? Would The Black Widow become the new Women’s Intercontinental Champion?
