Pretty soon, newly minted WWE Women's Intercontinental Champion AJ Lee is going to have to defend the title against one of her close friends, former Women's Champion Bayley, which she is not looking forward to.
WWE held a no. 1 contenders gauntlet match during the Mar. 9, 2026, edition of Monday Night RAW. Among the competitors were the likes of Iyo Sky, Raquel Rodriguez, Asuka, and Bayley. Ultimately, the latter won, earning herself a championship match against Lee in the future.
AJ Lee reacts to the news of facing Bayley next week on Raw
“well, f*** me” pic.twitter.com/lClXR0UuGC
— WrestlingWorldCC (@WrestlingWCC) March 10, 2026
Lee took to her Instagram Stories to share her reaction to Bayley becoming next in line for a crack at her title. She reposted WWE's video of Bayley picking up the win and wrote “Well, fu** me” over it.
Lee's husband, CM Punk, was also conflicted. He took to his Instagram Stories to give his thoughts, writing, “Uuuh. What am I supposed to do here?!?”
CM PUNK LOSING HIS MIND RIGHT NOW 😭#WWERAW pic.twitter.com/SZmdQiGGu4
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) March 10, 2026
Either way, the match will happen sometime in the near future. It will be Lee's first title defense as Women's Intercontinental Champion.
How Bayley became the no. 1 contender for AJ Lee's WWE Women's Intercontinental Championship
On Mar. 9, Bayley outlasted five other women to earn a championship match against Lee. The other competitors included Asuka, Iyo Sky, Rodriguez, Ivy Nile, and her tag team partner, Lyra Valkyria.
It came down to Bayley and Asuka. Despite Asuka's best attempts to cheat to win, she did not beat the 2024 Women's Royal Rumble winner.
Lee recently won the Women's Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch at the 2026 Elimination Chamber PLE. This was her first singles match in over a decade, and she captured singles gold. If she beats Bayley, Lee will likely head into WrestleMania 42 as Women's Intercontinental Champion.
It's unknown who she will face at the show. More than likely, Lee will face Lynch once again to put a definitive end to their longstanding rivalry.
