AJ Lee’s Former Rival Reacts with Heartfelt Message to Her Historic WWE Return After 10 Years

The erstwhile Paige dropped a message for her 'sister' AJ Lee after her emphatic WWE return after over 3800 days.

AJ Lee’s Former Rival Reacts with Heartfelt Message to Her Historic WWE Return After 10 Years

AJ Lee and Saraya (via WWE)

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If someone had told WWE fans five years ago that CM Punk and AJ Lee would return to the company and close out an episode of SmackDown, few would have believed it. But that’s exactly what happened on the September 5th edition of the blue brand.

Nearly a decade after her last WWE appearance, the former Divas Champion made a triumphant comeback, standing by Punk’s side as he was once again targeted and attacked by Becky Lynch. For context, ‘The Man’ had recently aligned with Seth Rollins at Clash in Paris, costing Punk the World Heavyweight Championship.

On Raw, Lynch confronted Punk again, disrespecting him in the process, only for him to promise payback. That moment came on SmackDown in Chicago, when Lee stepped in, took down Lynch, and celebrated in trademark fashion by skipping around with her Intercontinental Title.

The wrestling world lit up with reactions, with stars like Triple H, Naomi, and Bayley all celebrating Lee’s return. But perhaps the most touching response came from her former rival and greatest opponent, Saraya, who shared a heartfelt message for ‘The Black Widow’ on social media.

Fu*k, my heart is so full watching @TheAJMendez come back. Love you sister. Go show ‘em why you’re the best in the world.

Saraya via her X account

Saraya wrestled as Paige in the WWE and has a storied rivalry against Lee. For the unversed, the Englishwoman made her main roster in-ring debut in 2014, the night after WrestleMania 30. This is when she shocked the world by defeating Lee in an impromptu match to capture the Divas Championship. At the time, Lee was the reigning champion and saw the newcomer as a real threat.

Shortly after, Lee stepped away to recover from a neck injury, and during her absence, the British star embraced a heel turn. When she returned a few months later, she reclaimed the title from Saraya, reigniting their feud. 

Their rivalry lasted until October of that year, before the two surprisingly set aside their differences at WrestleMania 31 in 2015 to team up against The Bella Twins. This also proved to be one of Lee’s last WWE matches, after which she retired later that year owing to damage to her cervical spine and other injuries. 

Since then, Lee has also built a career outside the ring as a non-fiction author, co-writing both a movie and a story featured in the inaugural issue of DC Comics’ Wonder Woman: Black and Gold anthology series.

Beyond writing, the former Divas title holder is active as an ambassador for several organizations that promote mental health awareness and animal welfare.

WWE social media rakes in record numbers after AJ Lee’s return

Bringing AJ Lee back to WWE after more than 3,800 days has already proven to be a masterstroke. Her impact was immediately visible on social media, where the former Divas Champion shattered records within just 24 hours. According to WrestleOps on X, Lee’s return racked up over 130 million views in its first day alone.

CM Punk and AJ lee closing SmackDown
CM Punk and AJ Lee closing SmackDown (via WWE)

Punk himself grew emotional over the response his wife received. A day after her thunderous Chicago return, a rare Instagram video captured Punk proudly soaking in the love fans were showing Lee. The very next day, the Chicago Cubs honored the former champion by playing her entrance theme, “Let’s Light It Up,” at Wrigley Field, where Punk was scheduled to appear.

Soon after, Punk posted on Instagram, writing: “When you role [sic] up to Wrigley and they’re blasting your wife’s song.”

The moment further cemented their place as WWE’s ultimate power couple. Together, Punk and Lee now hold the two most-shared clips in WWE Twitter history: Punk’s shocking Survivor Series 2023 return and Lee’s recent comeback. The excitement didn’t stop there. Lee also received her first WWE trading card in a decade, to which Punk sweetly responded on social media with, “I want it.”

Looking ahead, Lee is expected to appear on the next episode of Raw to help set up the rumored mixed tag team match at WrestlePalooza on September 20, where she and Punk could join forces against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch.

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