Much to the excitement of WWE fans, AJ Lee made her long-awaited return to WWE on the September 5 edition of "WWE SmackDown." As evidenced by his shining smile in the moment, Lee's real-life husband CM Punk was equally as thrilled, especially given that he got to share it with her. When looking back on her return on the "Sam Roberts' Show," though, Punk clarified that he considered it to be all hers.
"When people ask me like what are the top moments of my career or life, that's where those intersect, 100%. I don't put her on a pedestal, she came that way," Punk said/ "She's on a pedestal for a reason, and the spotlight when she came back was 100% hers. So yeah, to me, all of that was showcasing like this is you coming back to sit under the shade of trees that you planted 12 years ago. "
In her initial WWE run, Lee enjoyed three reigns as Divas Champion and two as the Slammy award-winning Divas of the Year. Amidst her success, Lee would also inspire a generation of young fans, some of whom went on to become WWE stars themselves.
Since resurfacing in WWE, Lee has competed in two matches, the first of which saw her and Punk defeat Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins at Wrestlepalooza. At WWE Survivor Series, Lee then found herself on the winning team alongside Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, Alexa Bliss, and Charlotte Flair in Women's WarGames. The time and date for Lee's expected third match is unclear.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Sam Roberts' Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
