Overview

• Lee made her first on‑air appearance since 2015 on the Sept. 5 SmackDown in Chicago, interrupting the main‑event segment to take down Becky Lynch and reunite in the ring with CM Punk.
• WWE CCO Triple H posted video of Lee signing her contract backstage in Chicago, confirming her new agreement with the company.
• Coverage indicates WWE is steering toward CM Punk & AJ Lee vs. Seth Rollins & Becky Lynch at WrestlePalooza on Sept. 20, which is set to stream on ESPN’s new direct‑to‑consumer service, though the match has not been officially announced.
• The comeback capped weeks of teases tied to Becky Lynch’s low blow on Punk at Clash in Paris and her repeated slaps on Raw, escalating the feud into a couples storyline.
• Lee’s return ends a decade away after retiring in 2015 due to cervical spine issues, and Punk shared an emotional Instagram reaction the next morning about not sleeping so the moment “wouldn’t be a dream.”