• AJ Lee’s Expected WrestleMania 42 Opponent
When AJ Lee returned on the September 5, 2025 episode of WWE SmackDown, the return was treated as a major shift in the women’s division. She confronted Becky Lynch, laid her out, and left the segment holding the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, immediately putting herself back in the center of WWE programming.
In the weeks that followed, a report from BodySlam stated that Lee had signed a multi-year deal and was working a full-time schedule. That report fueled expectations that WWE was rebuilding the division around her long-term.
Now, that assumption is being challenged. On the Fightful Select Q&A Show, Sean Ross Sapp pushed back on the idea that Lee is operating under a true full-time arrangement. Sapp said that even as early as December, what he was hearing internally did not line up with reports of a full-time return.
He explained that while those early reports weren’t wrong, the information being relayed to him suggested something far more limited, adding that Lee’s run was never expected to resemble a regular weekly schedule.
Since returning in September, AJ has wrestled only two matches. Word going on is that AJ is expected to face Becky in a singles match at WrestleMania 42. AJ made Becky tap out at Wrestlepalooza and Survivor Series: WarGames.
Sapp noted that stretching a seven-month build to WrestleMania would be nearly impossible if AJ was appearing weekly, and that the current schedule aligns with WWE treating her as a special attraction rather than a regular roster member.
While Sapp emphasized that he has not heard confirmation of the WrestleMania match, he added that the prevailing belief among people he has spoken to is that Lee vs. Lynch is the direction WWE is leaning toward.
• AJ Styles Responds To A Fan Criticizing Him For Retiring In WWE Instead Of AEW
AJ Styles will retire as an in-ring performer this year. A fan wrote the following on X: “I selfishly need one more AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe match before it’s all said and done.”
Another fan replied: “Should have finished with the AEW run. He chose the WWE money.”
AJ saw this tweet and replied: “I’ll take dumbest things to ever have been said for 100 Alex.”
Samoa Joe recently lost the AEW World Championship to MJF in a Fatal 4-Way match at the Worlds End PPV on December 27th.
On the other hand, AJ Styles and his partner, Dragon Lee, lost the World Tag Team Championship to The Usos on last week’s December 29th episode of RAW.
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