CM Punk is clarifying his comments about AJ Lee’s potential return at the Royal Rumble.
Earlier this week Punk was interviewed by Jackie Redmond backstage. When asked if there are surprises he’d love to see in the women’s Royal Rumble, he joked about his wife’s return. “There’s a big one that I’m not going to say because I’m gonna get in trouble.”
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This led to fan speculation that she’d be making her long-awaited return to WWE. Really, this has been widely discussed since Punk’s WWE return in 2023. Lee previously stated she’s focusing on other projects, but fans still hold out hope.
Is AJ Lee Returning to WWE?
Unfortunately for Punk, this time it got so out of hand that he quickly clarified his comments. “There are no clues. There are no clues. She’s at home watching Larry [their dog],” Punk said on The Pat McAfee Show. Additionally, during the Royal Rumble kick-off event where Punk appeared, fans began chanting for the former Divas Champion. Appearing amused, he ripped off his sweater to get the crowd to chant for Larry instead.
When Fightful Select followed up with WWE higher-ups about the situation, they believed it was a joke. However, if she wanted to return to the ring, especially for the Rumble, they’d make it happen. Lee retired from professional wrestling in 2015 after Punk left the company. Her career was cut short, but she made a huge splash during her WWE run. She worked with the relaunched WOW – Women of Wrestling for a stint and even appeared on STARZ’s Heels, so she hasn’t completely left the wrestling world.
Although Lee may not return yet, Punk is entering his second Royal Rumble since his WWE return. There’s a huge field of big-name Superstars participating this year, which makes a win for him that much harder. Roman Reigns, John Cena, Jey Uso, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Sami Zayn have all declared for the event.
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