Following her electric return to "WWE SmackDown" last week, AJ Lee resurfaced on "WWE Raw" as well, beginning with a heartfelt address to the WWE Universe. In it, Lee introduced herself to those who may not have witnessed her original run in WWE, which spanned from 2009 until 2015. As WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray points out, she also apologized to her existing fans that spent over a decade waiting for her potential resurgence.
"What other word did she use that is so important in endearing yourself to wrestling fans? 'Sorry. Sorry it took me this long to come back, but I needed to go work on myself.' That's a dog whistle for people just to go 'It's okay. We got you, girl. We understand,'" Ray said on "Busted Open Radio." She apologized for being gone so long because she needed to go work on their mental health
"... Think of how much that means to wrestling fans when a star in the ring that they love says, 'I'm sorry I've been gone so long, I needed to go work on myself,' Ray continued. "Open arms, [they say] 'Welcome back. It's okay. We still love you.' The power of the 'I'm sorry,' and owning up to whatever you believe that you need to apologize for. Does anybody really need to apologize for leaving to work on their mental health issues? No, but she did."
During her time away from WWE, Lee noted that she went on a mental health journey that involved therapy and treatment. The live audience in Milwaukee warmly embraced the notion with repeated chants of "Therapy!" According to Lee, she was eventually able to heal, or in her words, turn "mental chaos into [her] "superpower." Now, she is officially back in WWE, with a tag match alongside her husband CM Punk set for WWE Wrestlepalooza.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
