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Former WWE Superstar AJ Lee was among the most anticipated wrestlers to return at the 2025 Royal Rumble. However, when Nikki Bella entered Lucas Oil Stadium at the 30th spot, the hopes of several fans were crushed.
Below are three reasons why the former Divas Champion didn’t make it to this year’s Rumble.
#3. AJ Lee could be reserved for a future appearance
This year’s women’s Royal Rumble was stacked with a lot of returning superstars. This included Trish Stratus, Alexa Bliss, and this year’s winner, Charlotte Flair. With so many top stars resuming their careers and Nikki Bella likely making a one-time appearance, the roster of returning superstars seemed quite crowded.
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Owing to this, WWE might have pulled AJ Lee back. The Stamford-based promotion may be planning to feature the 37-year-old star in a future appearance.
#2. WWE may be planning to put AJ Lee in a feud with a seven-time Women’s Champion
Aside from Lee, another highly anticipated superstar who did not make it to the 2025 Royal Rumble is Becky Lynch. The Man recently signed a new deal with the Stamford-based promotion, but despite this, she did not participate in the Royal Rumble.
Given Seth Rollins’ fallout after his elimination, he will likely be turning heel. Thus, Lynch might also return as a heel, and Lee could align herself with CM Punk to make a babyface comeback. Therefore, fans can expect to see both women return to WWE together.
#1. AJ Lee doesn’t have any bandwidth for WWE right now
Since CM Punk returned at the 2023 Survivor Series, the WWE Universe has been asking him about Lee's return. Fans were additionally teased by Michael Cole during the kickoff event of RAW’s Netflix debut when he referred to Punk as Lee’s husband.
However, The Second City Saint has maintained that his wife will only return when she has more room in her busy schedule. Notably, the three-time Divas Champion is both an author and a screenwriter.
Thus, the 37-year-old star may need to find some available dates and properly train herself before making a comeback if it ever happens. It would be interesting to see what lies ahead for Lee in the future.
