WWE AJ Lee Returns REACTION! Big WWE Commentary Changes! | WrestleTalk - video Dailymotion

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Are you excited for AJ Lee in WWE? Let us know in the comments! TLC 10 Worst Wrestling Belts! 👉 https://youtu.be/XZEjZRKx1Hs Support WrestleTalk on Patreon 👉 https://www.patreon.com/wrestletalk More wrestling news on https://wrestletalk.com/ 00:00 - Coming up... 00:18 - AJ Lee WWE Return 07:29 - Wade Barret vs Nikki Bella 09:27 - Big WWE & AEW Commentary Changes WWE AJ Lee Returns REACTION! Big WWE Commentary Changes! | WrestleTalk #WWE #AJLee #WrestleTalk  Buy WrestleTalk Merch here! https://wrestleshop.com/   Sources used for research: https://wrestletalk.com/news/nikki-bella-message-wade-barrett-wwe-backstage-issues/  https://wrestletalk.com/news/wade-barrett-issues-statement-wwe-status-smackdown-absence/  https://www.cagesideseats.com/rumor-round-up/381426/rumor-roundup-sept-8-2025-aj-lee-deal-wwe-commentary-situation-aew-change-more  https://www.f4wonline.com/news/wwe/report-wade-barrett-wwe-raw-smackdown-commentary/   https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1961043/tony-khan-announces-bryan-danielson-return-aew-dynamite-new-full-time-role-commentary/  https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1961253/details-aj-lee-wwe-return-friday-smackdown/  https://www.cagesideseats.com/rumor-round-up/381426/rumor-roundup-sept-8-2025-aj-lee-deal-wwe-commentary-situation-aew-change-more  https://wrestletalk.com/news/what-happened-aj-lee-wwe-smackdown-off-air/  https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1960519/triple-h-posts-footage-aj-lee-signing-fresh-wwe-contract-before-smackdown-return/  https://www.wrestlinginc.com/1960467/current-former-wwe-stars-react-return-aj-lee-after-decade-away-smackdown/  Youtube Channel Comments Policy We appreciate the comments and opinions our viewers provide. Do note that all comments are subject to YouTube auto-moderation and manual moderation review. We encourage opinions and discussion, but harassment, hate speech, bullying and other abusive posts will not be tolerated. Decisions on comment removal are made by the Community Manager. Please email us at support@wrestletalk.com with any questions or concerns.

Transcript

00:00Big changes coming to WWE and AEW's commentary teams, my reaction to AJ Lee's WWE return,

00:07all the backstage details on her new contract, and more.

00:11I'm Oli Davis, and this is the WrestleTalk News.

00:19After first being teased on last Sunday's Clash in Paris show, and getting all but confirmed

00:23when Becky Lynch slapped CM Punk across the face on the following Monday's Raw, AJ Lee

00:28did indeed return to WWE on Friday's episode of SmackDown, and we can play some exclusive

00:35footage of that moment.

00:50Why did I have that haircut back then?

00:53It's so weird how I used to shave the front parts of my hairline for stylistic, not balding

00:58reasons.

00:59AJ's return came in the final segment of Friday's SmackDown, where Seth Rollins first appeared

01:04in the Chicago crowd Shield style, if the Shield were dressed by Magatu from Zoolander, to introduce

01:10his just as orange dressed wife Becky Lynch.

01:12Lynch then expertly riled up the crowd who are already chanting for AJ Lee with your local

01:18sports team heat, for CM Punk himself to come down.

01:22He called Seth a coward for keeping his distance in the crowd, and then teased a bunch of women

01:27who could come down to beat up Becky for him, like Bayley or Rhea Ripley, because, crucially,

01:33Punk said he would never lay his hands on a woman.

01:36Presumably either ruling out or setting up an eventual GTS on Lynch spot at WrestlePalooza.

01:41But thankfully for Punk, right now, there is someone he knows who would beat up Becky Lynch.

01:47Baron Corbin!

01:49I mean AJ Lee, whose music hit to a thunderous reaction from the hometown crowd.

01:54Here's a clip.

01:55Lee then skipped down to the ring, looking like she hadn't aged a day, crop top abs included,

02:14to then brawl with Lynch, slapping her across the face, leading Lynch to flee the ring in

02:19the arms of her husband.

02:21Overall, it was an excellent segment that built the huge intergender tag match for WrestlePalooza

02:26even more.

02:26The choice of Chicago to bring back Lee in, in this kind of angle, was perfect.

02:31And because WWE didn't book AJ to say anything on the mic here, there's even more of a reason

02:37to tune into tonight's Raw, for which she's advertised for her first big return promo.

02:42But how did we get here?

02:44Just in case you weren't around 15 years ago, AJ worked her way through Florida Championship

02:49Wrestling, which was NXT before it was called NXT, and NXT itself in the late noughties

02:54and early 2010s.

02:56In fact, coincidentally, it was 15 years ago yesterday, the 7th of September 2010, where

03:02Lee made her NXT debut in the weird game show era of the brand, where Primo was her mentor.

03:09Remember Primo?

03:11Who she developed an onscreen relationship with kissing in the finale, which would become part

03:16of her long-term character, as she would then be booked in romance storylines with Daniel Bryan,

03:20CM Punk Kane, and John Cena.

03:22But in real life, she only had eyes for Punk.

03:25The couple started dating following their onscreen storyline, and went public in 2013.

03:30Unfortunately for them, Punk left WWE the following January under very unhappy circumstances,

03:36and Lee, by her own admission, was caught in the middle.

03:40And then, in what we're all definitely sure was totally a coincidence, WWE delivered Punk's

03:46official termination letters on the day of his and Lee's wedding, while Lee was still under

03:51contract with the company.

03:52Lee also started to speak out against WWE while she was working there, criticising the booking

03:58of the women's division and how the female performers didn't get enough screen time or pay

04:03as compared to the men's division.

04:05You could argue this was the start of the actual women's revolution, and not when Stephanie

04:09McMahon invented women the following year.

04:11She would end up retiring from wrestling two months later, with the Raw after WrestleMania 31

04:16unceremoniously being her last match.

04:19In her autobiography, she said it was because of a spine injury, but also because she felt

04:23caught in the middle between WWE and Punk, as that feud was growing even more intense with

04:28the Dr Chris-A-Man libel case.

04:31Lee seemed content to pursue a career outside of wrestling.

04:34She published her memoir Crazy Is My Superpower, co-wrote comics and screenplays,

04:38and became an advocate for mental health awareness.

04:41Even when Punk returned to wrestling with AEW in 2021, Lee's name was never seriously reported

04:47as joining him.

04:48But now, almost two years after Punk's WWE return, AJ Lee has put her crop top back on.

04:55There are many possible reasons why.

04:57She could miss wrestling.

04:59She might have unfinished business in WWE.

05:01She could want to work with a whole new generation of women wrestlers who look up to her.

05:05She might want to win the famous Intercontinental Championship she didn't grow up watching.

05:09She could just want the opportunity to work on screen with her real life husband.

05:14It could be any of those.

05:15It could be all of those.

05:17We don't know yet.

05:18She hasn't cut her promo.

05:19But we do know this from the reports.

05:21It's likely… for a lot of money.

05:24And she'll be positioned as one of the top stars on Raw, as Bodyslam.net have reported.

05:30AJ Lee has signed a multi-year, full-time contract with WWE.

05:33This isn't a one-off cameo or a nostalgia pop.

05:36AJ is back for real, and she's ready to shake up the women's division all over again.

05:42And while the first storyline is the power couple grudge match of her and Punk against

05:46Becky and Seth, the program spinning out of it looks set to be for a championship.

05:52As after SmackDown went off air, with Becky and Seth fleeing up the ramp, WWE have released

05:57footage of Lee picking up Lynch's Intercontinental title that she'd left in the ring.

06:01Skipping around with it.

06:02Showing it to CM Punk.

06:04Running back down to the ring.

06:05And posing with it in the corner.

06:07Here's a clip.

06:20According to Fightful Select, Lee's return was kept secret from everyone backstage.

06:24Just like Brock Lesnar, who also made a surprise appearance on the episode, she was kept off

06:28the running order sheets for SmackDown.

06:31Nevertheless, we all knew it was happening, so the backstage area was described as a curtain

06:36sellout, as pretty much the entire locker room wanted to watch her return on the production monitors.

06:41Naomi, who made her debut on that same game show episode of NXT as AJ, tweeted,

06:46Those SmackDown newbies don't deserve to share a locker room with AJ.

06:49If I was there, I would throw them heifer's bags in the hallway.

06:52Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!

06:54CAUTION SIGN!

06:55Roxanne Perez, who has become Punk and AJ's pseudo-adopted daughter, posted,

06:59Mummy's home.

07:01Five black card emojis!

07:03Bayley, who is very close friends with Lee, tweeted a video of the arena when she returned,

07:07and the caption, Light it TF up!

07:10And, of course, we got the obligatory Triple H pointing photo to welcome Lee back into the company.

07:16With bonus CM Punk!

07:17It's really exciting, as women's wrestling has progressed significantly since AJ Lee last wrestled.

07:24But you can't say that anymore.

07:26During the Clash in Paris pre-show last Sunday, Barrett questioned whether Nikki

07:30Bella would be able to hang with the current WWE women's roster ahead of her Becky Lynch IC

07:35title match that night, given how much the Lady Grapp's has progressed since the Divas era.

07:40This annoyed Nikki Bella, as she said on her podcast.

07:43I would love to have a conversation with Wade Barrett.

07:45He avoided me on Monday, which was shocking because he always comes up and says hi to me.

07:50He tried to avoid making eye contact with me in the hallway.

07:53And honestly, that stuff really doesn't bother me, because I get it.

07:56I was watching the pre-show, and I saw what Wade was saying about me even on the pre-show,

08:01and I was sitting there getting ready in the locker room like, oh, okay, that's fine,

08:06but replying to WrestleTalk.com's write-up of that story.

08:10Wade to WrestleTalk confirmed, Barrett has said on Twitter.

08:14I had no idea Nicole felt this way, and I'm happy to have this conversation anytime she likes.

08:20I wish she'd brought it up when we said hello to each other at Raw rather than via

08:24her podcast.

08:25I don't understand the avoiding claim at all.

08:27Simply not true.

08:28But how are you going to have a podcast episode if you just deal with it there and then?

08:32Thankfully, the two have now sorted it out in private, as Wade has since posted,

08:36Great news, fight fans!

08:38Nikki and I have spoken, we've smoothed things over, and I've graciously been allowed back

08:42into the Bella army.

08:44Fully paid-up member since FCW 2008.

08:47A difference of perspective, to which we are all entitled.

08:50But to be clear, some of the personal abuse that gets sent to Nikki on here is reprehensible.

08:55And completely out of line.

08:56So let's cut that out immediately.

08:58And Nikki agreed, sharing.

09:00Lol yes, great news.

09:01Sorry, been off X this week.

09:03Thank you, Stu.

09:04This all has been so wild.

09:06Sorry for not coming to you first before chatting with Bri on the pod.

09:09Was not expecting any of this.

09:11You know how much love I have for you, and loved our chat.

09:14So excited for you.

09:15Enjoy that well-deserved time off.

09:18And that's that all sorted.

09:19It was all just a big misunderstanding that won't lead to any more misunderstandings.

09:23Oh my god, Wade Barrett's been fired!

09:26Amidst the Nikki drama, Wade wasn't in his usual position alongside Joe

09:30Tessitore on Friday's episode of SmackDown.

09:32Michael Cole and Corey Graves were there instead, who announced they would be hosting

09:36the show for the next couple of months, replacing Wade and Joe.

09:41This is an annual occurrence for Tessitore, who will be busy hosting ESPN's college football

09:45coverage for the rest of the year.

09:47But PWInsider also reported that Barrett will be off the road going forward for a bit and

09:52won't be calling Raw, which Cole and Graves will continue to do.

09:56Replying to a since-deleted aggregation of that report, Wade cleared up things on Twitter

10:00where thankfully, he had some good news.

10:04I usually ignore BS reports like this, but it's causing needless hate to be spewed towards

10:09people I work with.

10:10WWE have kindly given me a couple of weeks off for personal time, booked nine months ago,

10:16and then I'm back to business as usual.

10:18A complete non-story.

10:20The end.

10:21But it seems Original Nexus members on commentary is a one-in-one-out kind of deal.

10:25As Tony Khan has announced, Brian Danielson will become a full-time AEW Dynamite announcer

10:32from this Wednesday's episode.

10:34Danielson has been one of the best guest commentators on AEW TV since his retirement,

10:39as he brings unique authenticity to his role.

10:42And hopefully, he can talk more bears.

10:44And AJ Lee, who was in that romance storyline with him way back when in WWE, has sent a

10:49heartwarming congratulations to him.

10:52Here's an exclusive clip.

10:53And to further tie it all together,

11:22click the video onscreen now to watch us count down the 10 worst wrestling championship

11:28belt designs of all time.

11:31Which includes AJ Lee's Hideous Divas title.

WWE AJ Lee Returns REACTION! Big WWE Commentary Changes! | WrestleTalk

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