After 10 years away from pro wrestling, AJ Lee is looking at WWE in a whole new way, and it recently made her emotional.
Lee came back to WWE in September 2025. Now, she prepares for her first singles match in a decade at WWE Elimination Chamber 2026 against Becky Lynch. But before getting back in the ring, she talked about a moment that showed her how much the women’s division has changed.
AJ Lee Reflects on Growth of WWE’s Women’s Division
While appearing on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike, Lee spoke about a recent Triple Threat Women’s World Championship match on WWE Raw featuring Stephanie Vaquer, Raquel Rodriguez, and Nikki Bella.
The match happened on December 29, 2025, and Vaquer kept her title. But for Lee, the match meant more than just who won.
She said that 10 years ago, she was competing in bikini contests and short matches. Now, she is proud to see so many different types of women on TV, where their talent matters more than their looks.
“So I’m just so proud to see all these different kinds of women, everybody’s flavour, their looks are the least interesting thing about them. They have a million wonderful attributes to them. They’re superstars I wish I had growing up,” she said.
Lee became emotional talking about that Triple Threat match. She pointed out that seeing three Latina wrestlers fighting for a world title is something she never saw growing up.
“Just to be able to see some matches, there was a title match the other week that was a Triple Threat, and it was Nikki Bella, it was Stephanie and it was Raquel, it was these three Latinas. I never would have seen that on my TV growing up, and it made me super emotional,” Lee said.
“It’s just a beautiful thing to see how it’s evolved. It should have been that way forever ago, and I hope it just continues to grow and grow,” Lee added.
WE HAD @CMPunk AND @TheAJMendez JOIN THE SHOW ? pic.twitter.com/Zlp3yUOJrI
— UNSPORTSMANLIKE (@UnSportsESPN) February 24, 2026
Most of Lee’s career took place during the “Divas Era.” Back then, WWE focused more on glamour, and women’s matches were often short and not treated as seriously. Even though Lee and others tried to push for better stories, the division didn’t always attain the spotlight it deserved.
Read More: AJ Lee Praises Becky Lynch Despite Ongoing Feud Before WWE Elimination Chamber 2026
