Personal Information
Full Name | April Jeanette Mendez |
Date of Birth | March 19, 1987 |
Nationality | USA |
Birth Place | Union City, New Jersey |
Height | 5'2" |
Weight | 115 lb (52 kg) |
Theme Song | "Let's Light It Up" |
Debut | March 8, 2008 |
Nickname | Black Widow |
Family | CM Punk (m. 2014) |
AJ Lee: A Brief Biography
April Jeanette Mendez is an American author and retired professional wrestler. She is best known for her work with WWE as AJ Lee. She is currently signed with Women of Wrestling as an executive producer.
Professional Wrestling Career
WWE
FCW and NXT (2009-2011)
Mendez was trained by Jay Lethal and performed on several independent promotions before signing with WWE. They sent her to the developmental brand for further training. After being signed with the company, she changed her name to AJ Lee. In December, she won the FCW Divas Championship and lost to Aksana before she left for NXT. She took part in the third season of NXT and was assigned to Primo. She became popular during the show but could not win it.
Various Relationships (2011-2013)
On the main roster, she developed an on-screen relationship with Daniel Bryan. The two began dating on-screen, and she accompanied him during matches. After they started dating, Bryan became abusive. At WrestleMania XXVIII, Bryan lost the title to Sheamus due to a kiss by Lee. After Mania, Bryan broke off with Lee, which caused her to have a mental breakdown.
Over the summer, she began another on-screen relationship with CM Punk. Bryan reconciled and came back to Lee, causing a love triangle. Bryan proposed to her and asked her to marry on RAW. On RAW 1000, Vince McMahon announced her as the new RAW General Manager.
After being the general manager, she took revenge on Bryan and Punk. A month later, she stepped down due to her alleged relations with John Cena. She and Cena began feuding with Vickie Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler. At TLC, she turned on Cena and aligned herself with Dolph Ziggler.
She started dating Dolph Ziggler and assisted him during matches. After losing the world title, Ziggler dumped her and got attacked by Big E. At SummerSlam, Lee and Big E faced Dolph Ziggler and Kaitlyn and lost.
Divas Champion (2013-2015)
At Payback, she won her first Divas Championship. In August, Lee began her rivalry with the cast of Total Divas as she felt they disrespected and took the division down. In 2014, she became the longest-reigning Divas Champion.
The night after WrestleMania, she lost the championship to Paige. She took time off for two months. On RAW, she won back the Divas Championship from Paige.
She began her rivalry with The Bella Twins and cut an unscripted promo on the duo. After winning the Divas Championship for the third time at Night of Champions, she lost the title to Nikki Bella at Survivor Series. A month later, she took some time off to tend to her injuries.
In March, she returned on RAW and helped Paige to take on The Bella Twins. At WrestleMania 31, Paige and Lee defeated The Bella Twins. This was Lee's last match with the company.
Women of Wrestling (2021-Present)
After being away from wrestling, Mendez joined WOW as an executive producer and signed a multi-year deal with the company.
Filmography
Year | Title | Role |
2014 | Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery | Herself |
2015 | Madden: The Movie | Trish |
2016 | The Evolution of Punk | Herself |
2019 | Rabid | Kira |
2022 | Blade of the 47 Ronin | N/A |
Championships and Accomplishments
Championship | Number of Times |
FCW Divas Championship | 1 |
WSU Tag Team Championship | 1 |
WWE Divas Championship | 3 |