Following her first match back in over a decade, WWE star AJ Lee thanked her “hot husband,” CM Punk, and her Wrestlepalooza opponents, Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.
Lee broke kayfabe with her latest Instagram post. She called it a “chaotic fairytale so far,” and she is thrilled with her first match after coming out of retirement.
She even thanked her opponents, referring to Lynch and Rollins by their legal names (Rebecca and Colby). Additionally, she thanked referee Jessica Carr and producer TJ Wilson (aka Tyson Kidd).
“A chaotic fairytale so far,” Lee's post began. “I’m proud of myself for being scared but doing it anyway, after ten years of retirement, on one month’s notice. I guess I still got it. I’m so grateful to Rebecca, Colby, Jess, TJ, and my hot husband Phil for taking such good care of me. And Larry for sharing his dressing room.
“I’m feeling all the love and support from you guys, my wonderful weirdos, it means the world,” she continued.
AJ Lee's WWE return match
At Wrestlepalooza, Lee returned to the ring to team with her husband, Punk, against Rollins and Lynch, another husband-wife couple.
It was the longest match of the night. While the mixed tag team bout did not main event Wrestlepalooza, it was treated like an important match. The nearly 30-minute contest was the longest of the night, and it ended with Lynch tapping out to Lee's Black Widow finishing maneuver.
This was Lee's first match since March 2015. She retired from in-ring competition shortly after WrestleMania 31. Since her retirement, Lee has become a best-selling author and also a TV and comic book writer.
During her hiatus, Lee joined Women of Wrestling in 2021 as an executive producer. Her tenure would come to an end in 2023. Two years later, she rejoined WWE as an in-ring competitor.
Her return was made during the September 5, 2025, edition of Friday Night SmackDown. Lynch was berating Punk, who claimed he would not physically retaliate. Lee's music then hit, and she made her first appearance in WWE in over 10 years.
Now, it appears she is back for the long haul. Perhaps she is on a collision course to have a one-on-one match against Lynch for the Women's Intercontinental Championship.
