AJ Lee was recently able to open up about the reason behind her sudden WWE retirement back in 2015.
Lee and Paige were hot off a victory over The Bella Twins at WrestleMania 31 before the former Divas Champion announced her retirement from the business a few days later.
Lee noted that a back injury was one of the main catalysts towards her decision to end her in-ring career. As part of a recent interview with Renee Paquette on The Sessions, Lee was able to explain her thought process.
“I always felt great about the timing of when I retired. You never want to be the last girl at the party, you want to go out on top. Everything felt so perfect and tied up in a bow," via WrestleTalk.
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Lee retired from the ring following her WWE departure and hasn't returned since, opting to remain on the sidelines. She is now a New York Times Best Selling Author as well as a comic book writer.
CM Punk's AEW debut sparked rumors of AJ Lee's return to WWE
CM Punk left WWE following the 2014 Royal Rumble, and much like his wife, he remained away from the ring until his AEW debut last year.
Punk's return predictably sparked rumors that AJ Lee may not be far behind and could be the person AEW's women's division needed. The Second City Saint himself addressed these rumors following his return and made it clear that Lee's neck injury could be an issue.
"I would love to see it. I get asked that question every single time I do an interview and I love it. I don’t (think she wants to do it), because she’s a teeny tiny person and she has a bad neck. I think the shelf life for females wrestling a full schedule, is a lot shorter then men. And I think she’s so focused on what she’s doing now, writing screenplays."
He added:
"She’s working on a million different projects, being pulled in so many directions. I think she would probably be receptive to the idea of coming back, but that can’t even enter her vocabulary right now,” via Cagesideseats.
Lee has since made her own return to the business and currently works as an executive producer for Women of Wrestling (WOW).