WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.660 Welcome to the Deep Dive. We are your guides, 00:00:02.839 --> 00:00:05.219 taking a stack of sources, research, and analysis 00:00:05.219 --> 00:00:07.299 to give you the most important nuggets of knowledge 00:00:07.299 --> 00:00:09.519 you need, complete with surprising facts and 00:00:09.519 --> 00:00:12.320 context. Today, we're immersing ourselves in 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:14.660 the extraordinary trajectory of April Jeanette 00:00:14.660 --> 00:00:17.559 Mendez, known professionally across the globe 00:00:17.559 --> 00:00:21.410 as A .J. Lee. Yeah, and this is definitely more 00:00:21.410 --> 00:00:22.890 than just a wrestling career we're looking at. 00:00:22.949 --> 00:00:25.550 It's really a study in harnessing adversity, 00:00:25.850 --> 00:00:28.390 wouldn't you say? Absolutely. Our sources reveal 00:00:28.390 --> 00:00:31.969 a woman who faced, I mean, significant battles, 00:00:32.109 --> 00:00:34.689 deep poverty, serious mental health struggles. 00:00:34.929 --> 00:00:37.070 And instead of letting those things break her, 00:00:37.109 --> 00:00:40.130 she systematically used them to craft one of 00:00:40.130 --> 00:00:43.750 the most compelling and successful personas in 00:00:43.750 --> 00:00:46.049 modern sports entertainment history. Okay, let's 00:00:46.049 --> 00:00:47.630 really unpack this journey then. Our mission 00:00:47.630 --> 00:00:50.009 here is to trace her path from, like you said, 00:00:50.130 --> 00:00:52.329 an incredibly challenging New Jersey childhood 00:00:52.329 --> 00:00:54.890 all the way to becoming a record -setting WWE 00:00:54.890 --> 00:00:57.570 champion, a New York Times best -selling author, 00:00:57.729 --> 00:01:01.909 and, critically, a very vocal mental health advocate. 00:01:02.189 --> 00:01:03.969 We're really looking at how the truth of her 00:01:03.969 --> 00:01:06.129 life became the ultimate fuel for her performance. 00:01:06.729 --> 00:01:09.450 Exactly. And the hook here, I think, is twofold. 00:01:09.469 --> 00:01:11.950 And it really defines the entire narrative we're 00:01:11.950 --> 00:01:13.969 going to explore. First, we need to understand 00:01:13.969 --> 00:01:18.730 the intense, often uncomfortable authenticity 00:01:18.730 --> 00:01:21.150 of her onscreen character, that whole mentally 00:01:21.150 --> 00:01:23.689 unstable gimmick. Right. And how that related 00:01:23.689 --> 00:01:26.209 directly to her real life bipolar disorder diagnosis, 00:01:26.409 --> 00:01:28.810 which is a connection WWE wasn't even aware of 00:01:28.810 --> 00:01:31.250 initially, believe it or not. Wow. OK. And second, 00:01:31.390 --> 00:01:34.510 we absolutely have to dissect the enormous story. 00:01:35.420 --> 00:01:39.140 of her highly publicized return to WWE just now 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:41.500 in September 2025. Yeah, after 10 years away. 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:44.159 Over 10 years. And immediately injecting herself 00:01:44.159 --> 00:01:47.079 into, well, arguably the most personal drama. 00:01:47.629 --> 00:01:49.670 Currently rocking the company. It's huge. So 00:01:49.670 --> 00:01:51.230 to really understand the drive, you absolutely 00:01:51.230 --> 00:01:53.370 have to understand the starting line. April Jeanette 00:01:53.370 --> 00:01:56.230 Mendez, born March 19, 1987, Union City, New 00:01:56.230 --> 00:01:58.909 Jersey. She's of Puerto Rican descent. And what 00:01:58.909 --> 00:02:01.109 our sources paint is just this picture of persistent 00:02:01.109 --> 00:02:03.629 kind of grinding instability in her formative 00:02:03.629 --> 00:02:06.290 years. That's right. And the instability wasn't 00:02:06.290 --> 00:02:08.729 just, you know, occasional. It was systemic. 00:02:09.289 --> 00:02:11.849 Her father, he was an automotive engineer, and 00:02:11.849 --> 00:02:13.550 her mother worked as a homemaker before becoming 00:02:13.550 --> 00:02:16.639 a home health aide. But the family... constantly 00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:19.639 struggled with financial insecurity. Right. And 00:02:19.639 --> 00:02:22.319 Mendez spoke very openly about the frequent presence 00:02:22.319 --> 00:02:25.000 of mental illness, which her mother also suffered 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:28.560 from, and drug addiction within the family unit. 00:02:28.680 --> 00:02:30.740 So this created a highly volatile environment. 00:02:31.080 --> 00:02:33.400 The accounts of their housing situation are particularly 00:02:33.400 --> 00:02:37.259 striking. She detailed frequently moving, sometimes 00:02:37.259 --> 00:02:41.180 living in cheap motels, or at the most desperate 00:02:41.180 --> 00:02:43.719 times, actually sleeping in the family car because 00:02:43.719 --> 00:02:46.460 they just couldn't afford consistent rent. Imagine 00:02:46.460 --> 00:02:48.599 that. When you talk about the foundation of ambition, 00:02:48.759 --> 00:02:50.680 that kind of experience, that constant state 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:52.759 of precarity, that must have been the ultimate 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:55.840 motivator, right? It absolutely was. Her aspiration 00:02:55.840 --> 00:02:59.340 to become a professional wrestler, which cemented 00:02:59.340 --> 00:03:02.300 itself at the surprisingly young age of 12. Yeah, 00:03:02.340 --> 00:03:04.099 it wasn't just a fantasy. It was like an escape 00:03:04.099 --> 00:03:07.080 plan. It was a tangible career path that promised 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:10.560 stability, security, and a paycheck large enough 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.419 to ensure she would never be homeless again. 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:15.819 OK. She was inspired by her older brother's deep 00:03:15.819 --> 00:03:19.879 interest in WWE and specifically by female wrestlers 00:03:19.879 --> 00:03:23.039 like Lita, who, you know, combine that athleticism 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:25.259 with a really unique personality. That desire 00:03:25.259 --> 00:03:27.860 for security really explains why her educational 00:03:27.860 --> 00:03:30.580 journey was kind of cut short by pragmatic necessity. 00:03:31.139 --> 00:03:33.819 She graduated from Memorial High School in West 00:03:33.819 --> 00:03:37.599 New York, New Jersey, back in 2005. And initially 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:41.039 she aimed high. attended NYU's prestigious Tisch 00:03:41.039 --> 00:03:43.960 School of the Arts, majoring in film and television 00:03:43.960 --> 00:03:46.099 production. Which is incredible. But she was 00:03:46.099 --> 00:03:48.419 at Tisch for only six months. Six months. Wow. 00:03:48.620 --> 00:03:50.300 Yeah, she dropped out because the financial and 00:03:50.300 --> 00:03:51.860 family pressures were just too overwhelming. 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:54.199 And what did she do immediately after dropping 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:56.659 out? She started working full time. Right. Not 00:03:56.659 --> 00:03:59.520 saving for typical college stuff. No, no. She 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:02.400 wasn't saving for frivolous purchases or, you 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:04.939 know, typical college age fun. She was working 00:04:04.939 --> 00:04:08.560 specifically. deliberately to save the money 00:04:08.560 --> 00:04:11.120 required to afford professional wrestling training. 00:04:11.340 --> 00:04:14.419 That's commitment. That choice NYU dreams versus 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:16.779 the wrestling grind. It tells you everything 00:04:16.779 --> 00:04:19.439 about her commitment to that singular goal of 00:04:19.439 --> 00:04:21.870 escaping poverty. And as a small detail, just 00:04:21.870 --> 00:04:23.870 linking back to those early family influences, 00:04:24.269 --> 00:04:27.029 our sources note that as an homage to her brother 00:04:27.029 --> 00:04:30.129 who served in the U .S. Army, she occasionally 00:04:30.129 --> 00:04:32.910 incorporated camouflage attire into her wrestling 00:04:32.910 --> 00:04:35.089 gear, kind of maintaining that connection to 00:04:35.089 --> 00:04:37.810 her roots despite the chaotic upbringing. It's 00:04:37.810 --> 00:04:39.769 those little personal details that really anchor 00:04:39.769 --> 00:04:42.389 the persona, you know. But the most critical 00:04:42.389 --> 00:04:44.629 piece of her early history, the one that became 00:04:44.629 --> 00:04:47.029 her most powerful tool for self -understanding 00:04:47.029 --> 00:04:50.339 and performance. That was the mental health diagnosis. 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:53.279 Right. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder 00:04:53.279 --> 00:04:55.600 around age 20, a condition she actually shared 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:58.120 with her mother. But the path to that correct 00:04:58.120 --> 00:05:00.800 diagnosis was incredibly difficult, wasn't it? 00:05:00.860 --> 00:05:03.160 Oh, it was dangerous. She'd previously been misdiagnosed 00:05:03.160 --> 00:05:05.939 with depression. And the treatment based on that 00:05:05.939 --> 00:05:08.720 misdiagnosis had profoundly adverse effects. 00:05:09.509 --> 00:05:12.089 She later recounted this period, detailing an 00:05:12.089 --> 00:05:14.269 overdose on antidepressants and painkillers, 00:05:14.269 --> 00:05:16.889 which she openly acknowledged was a suicide attempt. 00:05:17.069 --> 00:05:20.129 Wow. That's incredibly dark. It is. But this 00:05:20.129 --> 00:05:22.610 dark moment, however, became the turning point. 00:05:22.709 --> 00:05:24.910 How did that crisis ultimately inform her career? 00:05:24.970 --> 00:05:27.589 Because that's a huge thing to overcome. Well, 00:05:27.649 --> 00:05:30.410 the crisis forced her to seek proper help, which 00:05:30.410 --> 00:05:32.410 led to the correct diagnosis of bipolar disorder. 00:05:32.939 --> 00:05:35.579 And this diagnosis, rather than being, you know, 00:05:35.579 --> 00:05:39.100 a stigma or a secret she had to hide, it became 00:05:39.100 --> 00:05:41.060 the source of her self -acceptance and ultimately 00:05:41.060 --> 00:05:44.180 her strength. She credits the clarity and understanding 00:05:44.180 --> 00:05:46.600 derived from the diagnosis and the subsequent 00:05:46.600 --> 00:05:49.000 treatment with giving her the necessary bravery 00:05:49.000 --> 00:05:51.839 and perspective to relentlessly pursue and achieve 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:54.379 her incredibly demanding career goals. So that 00:05:54.379 --> 00:05:57.439 reframing? Yeah, she famously reframed this adversity, 00:05:57.779 --> 00:06:00.439 naming her eventual memoir Crazy Is My Superpower. 00:06:00.990 --> 00:06:03.769 She didn't hide the perceived weakness. She kind 00:06:03.769 --> 00:06:05.970 of weaponized the authenticity of her experience. 00:06:06.149 --> 00:06:09.089 That reframing is so essential because it allows 00:06:09.089 --> 00:06:12.490 us to contextualize the wild, unpredictable character 00:06:12.490 --> 00:06:14.769 she would eventually become on television. She 00:06:14.769 --> 00:06:17.050 had the ambition. She had the financial motivation. 00:06:17.250 --> 00:06:20.290 And now she had this powerful internal narrative 00:06:20.290 --> 00:06:22.949 to draw from. Exactly. All the pieces were falling 00:06:22.949 --> 00:06:26.230 into place. So with her focus crystal clear, 00:06:26.329 --> 00:06:30.910 Mendez began the truly anonymous. back -breaking 00:06:30.910 --> 00:06:34.649 work of training. She started in March 2007 at 00:06:34.649 --> 00:06:36.850 a wrestling school near her home, trained by 00:06:36.850 --> 00:06:39.209 the veteran wrestler Jay Lethal. Okay, Jay Lethal. 00:06:39.250 --> 00:06:41.370 Big name. Yeah, and this was a direct output 00:06:41.370 --> 00:06:43.949 of her working full -time. She had the cash saved 00:06:43.949 --> 00:06:45.870 up, and she immediately put it right into her 00:06:45.870 --> 00:06:48.709 dream. And by late 2007, she was already performing 00:06:48.709 --> 00:06:51.269 on the New Jersey independent circuit as Miss 00:06:51.269 --> 00:06:54.050 April. The independent scene. I mean, that's 00:06:54.050 --> 00:06:55.790 where you truly cut your teeth, right? Learning 00:06:55.790 --> 00:06:57.730 the rhythm and the danger of the ring for like 00:06:57.730 --> 00:07:00.389 minimal pay. Absolutely. Gas money gigs, basically. 00:07:00.389 --> 00:07:02.170 Yeah. But she quickly rose through the ranks 00:07:02.170 --> 00:07:04.410 in those regional promotions. She joined women's 00:07:04.410 --> 00:07:09.009 superstars uncensored WSU in October 2008. WSU. 00:07:09.050 --> 00:07:10.990 Yeah, that was a key promotion for women's wrestling 00:07:10.990 --> 00:07:12.990 at the time. It really was. This wasn't minor 00:07:12.990 --> 00:07:15.290 leagues. This was where she could build a reputation 00:07:15.290 --> 00:07:17.759 for. seriousness for being good in the ring. 00:07:17.879 --> 00:07:20.220 And she achieved meaningful success there pretty 00:07:20.220 --> 00:07:22.740 quickly, establishing herself as a credible champion. 00:07:23.019 --> 00:07:26.079 She captured the WSU Tag Team Championship in 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:29.339 February 2009 with Brooke Carter. Then just a 00:07:29.339 --> 00:07:32.180 couple months later, April 2009, she and her 00:07:32.180 --> 00:07:35.120 trainer Jay Lethal won the annual WSU National 00:07:35.120 --> 00:07:37.720 Wrestling Superstars King and Queen of the Ring 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:40.160 Tournament. Those are clear markers of readiness. 00:07:40.439 --> 00:07:43.310 They're resume builders. Definitely. But the 00:07:43.310 --> 00:07:45.509 goal was always the big leagues, right? WWE. 00:07:46.129 --> 00:07:50.449 So she paid $1 ,500. $1 ,500. Yeah. And remember, 00:07:50.610 --> 00:07:52.449 this is money she earned dropping out of NYU 00:07:52.449 --> 00:07:54.930 to work full time. Right, that she scraped together. 00:07:55.209 --> 00:07:58.410 Exactly. Paid that just to attend a WWE tryout 00:07:58.410 --> 00:08:01.490 camp. And that financial gamble, it paid off. 00:08:01.670 --> 00:08:04.850 In May 2009, she signed her contract and reported 00:08:04.850 --> 00:08:07.089 immediately to Florida Championship Wrestling, 00:08:07.310 --> 00:08:10.509 FCW, which was WWE's developmental territory 00:08:10.509 --> 00:08:13.860 back then. Okay, so this is the moment Miss April 00:08:13.860 --> 00:08:17.819 officially becomes AJ Lee. She debuted in FCW 00:08:17.819 --> 00:08:20.259 that summer, and well, it sounds like she quickly 00:08:20.259 --> 00:08:22.240 established herself as a cornerstone of their 00:08:22.240 --> 00:08:24.360 women's division. She started accumulating titles 00:08:24.360 --> 00:08:26.980 almost immediately. February 2010, she won the 00:08:26.980 --> 00:08:29.980 Queen of FCW title. But what's truly significant 00:08:29.980 --> 00:08:34.000 about her FCW run is the evolution of her character. 00:08:34.429 --> 00:08:36.769 After initially being a face, a good guy. Right. 00:08:36.870 --> 00:08:39.330 She began a feud with Naomi Knight over the inaugural 00:08:39.330 --> 00:08:42.509 FCW Divas Championship. And during that time, 00:08:42.610 --> 00:08:45.549 she adapted. She turned heel to villain for a 00:08:45.549 --> 00:08:47.690 period. Interesting. Showing versatility early 00:08:47.690 --> 00:08:49.970 on. Very versatile. And then she defeated Naomi 00:08:49.970 --> 00:08:53.070 for that FCW Divas Championship in December 2010. 00:08:53.370 --> 00:08:56.190 Why was this victory so important in her trajectory? 00:08:56.450 --> 00:08:58.929 What did it signify? Well, because it made history 00:08:58.929 --> 00:09:01.009 within that developmental system. By winning 00:09:01.009 --> 00:09:03.350 the FCW Divas Championship, she became the first 00:09:03.350 --> 00:09:05.450 woman ever to win both available women's titles 00:09:05.450 --> 00:09:09.009 in FCW, the Queen of FCW title, and the Divas 00:09:09.009 --> 00:09:11.570 Championship. It signaled to the corporate office 00:09:11.570 --> 00:09:14.210 up in Stanford that she wasn't just, you know, 00:09:14.210 --> 00:09:16.970 a developmental body. She was a reliable, title 00:09:16.970 --> 00:09:19.450 -winning anchor for the division. And she held 00:09:19.450 --> 00:09:23.070 that championship until April 2011. Now, while 00:09:23.070 --> 00:09:26.909 she was still technically in FCW, the wider WWE 00:09:26.909 --> 00:09:29.690 audience got their first real glimpse of her 00:09:29.690 --> 00:09:33.029 via NXT Season 3, right? That started September 00:09:33.029 --> 00:09:36.450 2010, back when NXT was structured as that reality 00:09:36.450 --> 00:09:38.690 competition show. Yeah, the obstacle courses 00:09:38.690 --> 00:09:41.570 and weird challenges format. Exactly. And this 00:09:41.570 --> 00:09:43.690 is where the concept of the geek goddess was 00:09:43.690 --> 00:09:46.860 truly tested on a mainstream platform. She performed 00:09:46.860 --> 00:09:49.379 as a face, drawing directly from her real -life 00:09:49.379 --> 00:09:52.600 interests, comic books, anime, video games, to 00:09:52.600 --> 00:09:55.100 create this nerd character. Which was pretty 00:09:55.100 --> 00:09:57.399 refreshing at the time. Totally. It was genuinely 00:09:57.399 --> 00:10:00.039 authentic to her, and it set her apart from the, 00:10:00.100 --> 00:10:02.559 well, the traditionally glamorous divas of that 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:06.360 era. During NXT, she also formed that key on 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:08.240 -screen relationship with fellow competitor, 00:10:08.460 --> 00:10:10.480 Caitlyn. That friendship, as we'll definitely 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.480 see later, became really foundational to her 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:14.549 main roster success, didn't it? Oh, absolutely. 00:10:14.750 --> 00:10:16.809 That connection was crucial. Even though she 00:10:16.809 --> 00:10:19.669 was eliminated in third place on NXT, her main 00:10:19.669 --> 00:10:21.549 roster call -up followed pretty quickly after 00:10:21.549 --> 00:10:24.210 that. So her main roster debut on SmackDown in 00:10:24.210 --> 00:10:27.370 May 2011 alongside Caitlyn. That was strategic, 00:10:27.529 --> 00:10:30.309 that. Very strategic. They were immediately branded 00:10:30.309 --> 00:10:33.409 the Chickbusters and mentored by Natalya. Right, 00:10:33.509 --> 00:10:36.090 the veteran. Yeah. They were positioned as the 00:10:36.090 --> 00:10:39.610 scrappy athletic underdogs, contrasting sharply 00:10:39.610 --> 00:10:42.549 with the established, more powerful teams like, 00:10:42.629 --> 00:10:45.769 say, Lay Cool or The Divas of Dune later on. 00:10:45.789 --> 00:10:48.490 This early struggle defined her initial year, 00:10:48.629 --> 00:10:51.370 but crucially, it built that long -term connection 00:10:51.370 --> 00:10:54.110 with Caitlyn, that storyline investment that 00:10:54.110 --> 00:10:56.450 would pay huge dividends when she eventually 00:10:56.450 --> 00:10:59.210 transitioned into her more chaotic persona. So 00:10:59.210 --> 00:11:02.090 we see the foundation laid. the economic drive, 00:11:02.269 --> 00:11:04.230 the personal authenticity of the geek identity, 00:11:04.429 --> 00:11:06.570 and this key long -term friendship established. 00:11:07.110 --> 00:11:09.129 Now let's move to the narrative shift that really 00:11:09.129 --> 00:11:11.090 changed everything for her. Yeah, this is where 00:11:11.090 --> 00:11:13.110 things get really interesting. Okay, so this 00:11:13.110 --> 00:11:15.809 period, roughly 2011 to 2013, this is the engine 00:11:15.809 --> 00:11:19.169 of her rise. AJ Lee stopped being defined solely 00:11:19.169 --> 00:11:21.509 by tag team wrestling with Caitlyn and started 00:11:21.509 --> 00:11:25.220 being defined by narrative chaos. She became 00:11:25.220 --> 00:11:27.960 this indispensable, emotionally unhinged figure 00:11:27.960 --> 00:11:30.220 who could actually cross over into the male main 00:11:30.220 --> 00:11:32.419 event scene. Yeah. She was labeled the crazy 00:11:32.419 --> 00:11:35.750 chick. And we know now. Based on her memoir, 00:11:35.970 --> 00:11:38.029 that while this was a fictional gimmick, it was 00:11:38.029 --> 00:11:41.090 definitely informed by her real, at the time 00:11:41.090 --> 00:11:44.250 unpublicized, bipolar disorder diagnosis. She 00:11:44.250 --> 00:11:46.269 later stated that because of that reality, she 00:11:46.269 --> 00:11:48.669 felt she was hiding in plain sight. What did 00:11:48.669 --> 00:11:51.850 that intense level of maybe unexpected authenticity 00:11:51.850 --> 00:11:54.690 do to her character's reception? How did fans 00:11:54.690 --> 00:11:57.450 react? Well, it gave the character stakes. It 00:11:57.450 --> 00:11:59.529 felt unpredictable because for the audience, 00:11:59.610 --> 00:12:01.389 she wasn't just performing a typical wrestling 00:12:01.389 --> 00:12:04.419 trope. She was acting out this. like calculated 00:12:04.419 --> 00:12:06.980 instability, her ascent really began with the 00:12:06.980 --> 00:12:09.740 Daniel Bryan storyline. Bryan was the villainous 00:12:09.740 --> 00:12:12.279 World Heavyweight Champion, and their on -screen 00:12:12.279 --> 00:12:15.460 relationship in late 2011 and early 2012 was 00:12:15.460 --> 00:12:17.980 defined by his really callous mistreatment of 00:12:17.980 --> 00:12:21.440 her. AJ was portrayed as overly devoted despite 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:23.879 his constant scorn. Right, he was just awful 00:12:23.879 --> 00:12:26.620 to her. And this storyline culminated in one 00:12:26.620 --> 00:12:29.240 of the most famous or infamous and shocking title 00:12:29.240 --> 00:12:31.539 losses in WrestleMania history, WrestleMania 00:12:31.539 --> 00:12:35.580 28. April 1st, 2012, she insisted on kissing 00:12:35.580 --> 00:12:37.659 Bryan right before his match against Sheamus. 00:12:37.860 --> 00:12:39.840 In a moment of distraction, however brief it 00:12:39.840 --> 00:12:43.120 seemed, it was fatal. Bryan lost the World Heavyweight 00:12:43.120 --> 00:12:45.799 Championship to Sheamus in a staggering 18 seconds. 00:12:45.899 --> 00:12:49.000 18 seconds. Unbelievable. And Bryan, the villain. 00:12:49.340 --> 00:12:51.980 immediately blamed AJ Lee and ended the relationship 00:12:51.980 --> 00:12:54.159 right there in the ring, basically. The subsequent 00:12:54.159 --> 00:12:56.480 weeks of her trying to reconcile and being just 00:12:56.480 --> 00:12:58.559 cruelly rejected were absolutely crucial. Why 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:00.840 crucial? They pushed her over that narrative 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:03.559 edge. She started lashing out not just at Brian, 00:13:03.779 --> 00:13:06.620 but at her friends, Caitlin and Natalia. This 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:08.759 solidified the unstable, heel -leaning character. 00:13:09.019 --> 00:13:11.259 She had, you know, seemingly nothing left to 00:13:11.259 --> 00:13:13.240 lose. And she didn't exactly mourn for long, 00:13:13.379 --> 00:13:15.789 did she? She quickly transitioned her chaotic 00:13:15.789 --> 00:13:19.090 affections towards Bryan's rival, the WWE champion 00:13:19.090 --> 00:13:22.830 CM Punk, and also towards Kane. Yeah, Kane too. 00:13:22.990 --> 00:13:25.029 Yeah. The narrative shifted from just being the 00:13:25.029 --> 00:13:27.049 heartbroken ex -girlfriend to being this agent 00:13:27.049 --> 00:13:29.570 of disruption. Right. At the No Way Out pay -per 00:13:29.570 --> 00:13:32.590 -view in June 2012, she interfered in a triple 00:13:32.590 --> 00:13:35.490 threat match involving Punk, Bryan, and Kane. 00:13:36.049 --> 00:13:39.009 She distracted Kane, helping Punk retain his 00:13:39.009 --> 00:13:42.080 WWE championship. She became the chaotic variable 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:44.679 in every single top tier feud. The drama just 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.340 kept escalating. Oh, yeah. It peaked when she 00:13:47.340 --> 00:13:49.860 was announced as the special guest referee for 00:13:49.860 --> 00:13:52.159 the Pung versus Bryan title match at Money in 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:54.620 the Bank. She was mentally manipulating both 00:13:54.620 --> 00:13:57.019 men. I remember this. She even slapped both of 00:13:57.019 --> 00:13:59.379 them on raw after Punk rejected her sudden marriage 00:13:59.379 --> 00:14:01.559 proposal, which came immediately after Brian 00:14:01.559 --> 00:14:03.620 had made a counterproposal. The psychological 00:14:03.620 --> 00:14:06.840 warfare was relentless. So at Money in the Bank, 00:14:06.960 --> 00:14:09.440 she counted Punk's pinfall on Brian, ensuring 00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:12.340 Punk's victory. But the ambiguity of her intentions 00:14:12.340 --> 00:14:14.659 left everyone guessing, right? Like whose side 00:14:14.659 --> 00:14:17.299 was she really on? Exactly. And the very next 00:14:17.299 --> 00:14:20.360 night, Brian proposed again. And this time she 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:22.899 accepted, setting the stage for one of the greatest 00:14:22.899 --> 00:14:26.120 acts of televised betrayal in Raw history. The 00:14:26.120 --> 00:14:28.480 alter betrayal at Raw 1000. I remember watching 00:14:28.480 --> 00:14:31.340 that live. During the exchange of vows, AJ Lee 00:14:31.340 --> 00:14:33.440 announced that Vince McMahon had just offered 00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:36.549 her the Raw general manager job. She cited that 00:14:36.549 --> 00:14:39.090 opportunity as the one true commitment she needed, 00:14:39.190 --> 00:14:42.230 and she left Brian literally stranded at the 00:14:42.230 --> 00:14:45.149 altar. It was spectacular, just a shocking twist 00:14:45.149 --> 00:14:47.769 that launched her into this powerful, albeit 00:14:47.769 --> 00:14:50.649 pretty short -lived, authority figure role. Yeah, 00:14:50.669 --> 00:14:54.110 her tenure as Raw GM from July to October 2012, 00:14:54.330 --> 00:14:56.450 it was defined much more by personal vengeance 00:14:56.450 --> 00:14:59.169 than, say, corporate efficiency. She really weaponized 00:14:59.169 --> 00:15:01.029 her power, didn't she? Totally. She alleged that 00:15:01.029 --> 00:15:02.850 Brian only wanted to marry her so he could commit 00:15:02.850 --> 00:15:05.799 her to a mental institution. Wow. And she leveraged 00:15:05.799 --> 00:15:07.960 her authority to force him to undergo a televised 00:15:07.960 --> 00:15:11.419 psychological evaluation. She also routinely 00:15:11.419 --> 00:15:14.139 booked both Brian and Punk in highly unfavorable 00:15:14.139 --> 00:15:16.659 matches, using her position purely for emotional 00:15:16.659 --> 00:15:19.649 payoff and revenge. It blurred the lines between 00:15:19.649 --> 00:15:22.750 character and reality even further because her 00:15:22.750 --> 00:15:25.710 actions felt so intensely personal. They really 00:15:25.710 --> 00:15:28.710 did. But, you know, power trips rarely last long 00:15:28.710 --> 00:15:32.350 in WWE storylines. Her time as GM was curtailed 00:15:32.350 --> 00:15:35.070 after only a few months. Why was that? Well, 00:15:35.110 --> 00:15:37.850 the storyline reason was she was deemed too childish 00:15:37.850 --> 00:15:40.750 and got involved in physical altercations with 00:15:40.750 --> 00:15:43.450 other authority figures, specifically Vickie 00:15:43.450 --> 00:15:46.480 Guerrero and Paul Heyman. Her emotional instability 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:49.059 was cited as the reason for her abrupt removal. 00:15:49.379 --> 00:15:51.919 Okay, so that cleared the way for her most impactful 00:15:51.919 --> 00:15:54.500 and sustained heel turn, right? Exactly. She 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:57.100 stepped down amid this manufactured scandal storyline 00:15:57.100 --> 00:15:59.759 involving John Cena, an alleged affair, which 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:02.519 she vehemently denied. But the true shift came 00:16:02.519 --> 00:16:05.179 at the TLC pay -per -view in December 2012. Ah, 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:07.740 the ladder match. That was the defining moment 00:16:07.740 --> 00:16:10.279 of her alliance with Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler was 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:11.899 feuding with Cena over the money in the bank 00:16:11.899 --> 00:16:14.779 contract. AJ interfered, pushing Cena off the 00:16:14.779 --> 00:16:17.220 ladder, costing him the match, and turning her 00:16:17.220 --> 00:16:20.000 into a definitive villain, a calculated betrayer. 00:16:20.059 --> 00:16:22.320 And she aligned with Ziggler then. Right away. 00:16:23.059 --> 00:16:25.299 Introduced the menacing bodyguard Big E Langston 00:16:25.299 --> 00:16:28.500 too. When justifying the betrayal, she claimed 00:16:28.500 --> 00:16:31.000 Cena had toyed with her emotions, so she helped 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:34.240 Ziggler break him. This trio AJ, Ziggler, and 00:16:34.240 --> 00:16:36.720 Langston became a pretty central force for a 00:16:36.720 --> 00:16:39.200 while. They really did. And she then assisted 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:42.299 Ziegler in successfully cashing in that Money 00:16:42.299 --> 00:16:44.580 in the Bank contract to win the World Heavyweight 00:16:44.580 --> 00:16:48.419 Championship in April 2013. That cemented her 00:16:48.419 --> 00:16:50.559 as the catalyst for male main event success. 00:16:51.470 --> 00:16:54.029 She had successfully navigated her way into the 00:16:54.029 --> 00:16:56.750 very highest echelon of the company, not necessarily 00:16:56.750 --> 00:16:58.830 by being the best wrestler at that point, but 00:16:58.830 --> 00:17:01.549 by being the best, most unhinged storyteller. 00:17:01.629 --> 00:17:04.490 A master manipulator. Absolutely. So having dominated 00:17:04.490 --> 00:17:06.450 the narrative side of the maid event scene, the 00:17:06.450 --> 00:17:08.750 stage was now perfectly set for her to pivot 00:17:08.750 --> 00:17:11.069 back to the women's division and assert, well, 00:17:11.170 --> 00:17:13.589 physical dominance this time. Exactly. And she 00:17:13.589 --> 00:17:16.049 accomplished this pretty swiftly, winning a battle 00:17:16.049 --> 00:17:18.710 royal in April 2013 to become the number one 00:17:18.710 --> 00:17:21.390 contender for the Divas Championship. And this 00:17:21.390 --> 00:17:23.789 is where that previous storyline investment paid 00:17:23.789 --> 00:17:26.430 off immensely. She leveraged her history with 00:17:26.430 --> 00:17:29.269 Caitlin, turning their genuine on -screen friendship, 00:17:29.390 --> 00:17:31.730 that whole chickbusters connection, into this 00:17:31.730 --> 00:17:34.329 deeply personal, really twisted psychological 00:17:34.329 --> 00:17:37.769 feud. Ah, the secret admirer storyline. I remember 00:17:37.769 --> 00:17:40.670 that. Caitlin received gifts and messages. Right, 00:17:40.730 --> 00:17:42.670 building up all this hope and emotion. And the 00:17:42.670 --> 00:17:45.869 payoff was brutal. It was. The secret admirer 00:17:45.869 --> 00:17:48.170 turned out to be... Biggie Langston acting under 00:17:48.170 --> 00:17:51.230 AJ's direction. AJ revealed the whole deceit 00:17:51.230 --> 00:17:53.589 in this shocking segment, designed purely to 00:17:53.589 --> 00:17:56.130 mock and humiliate Caitlyn, leaving her completely 00:17:56.130 --> 00:17:58.410 devastated. That was masterclass heel psychology. 00:17:58.829 --> 00:18:01.670 Using that intimacy to inflict maximum damage, 00:18:01.769 --> 00:18:04.289 it perfectly cemented her character as manipulative 00:18:04.289 --> 00:18:06.670 and, yeah, deeply personal in her attacks. It 00:18:06.670 --> 00:18:08.869 really did. And it led directly to her winning 00:18:08.869 --> 00:18:10.930 her first Divas Championship from Caitlyn at 00:18:10.930 --> 00:18:13.880 the Payback pay -per -view in June 2013. And 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:16.559 this kicked off a truly historic run. How historic? 00:18:16.579 --> 00:18:19.759 She held that title for 295 consecutive days. 00:18:19.900 --> 00:18:23.779 Wow, 295 days. At the time, that set a monumental 00:18:23.779 --> 00:18:25.819 new record for the longest Divas Championship 00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:29.099 reign. Now, we should note that while that individual 00:18:29.099 --> 00:18:31.960 record was later surpassed by Nikki Bella, the 00:18:31.960 --> 00:18:35.259 sheer longevity of AJ's initial reign really 00:18:35.259 --> 00:18:37.799 solidified her as the cornerstone of the division. 00:18:38.000 --> 00:18:40.259 Okay. And during this reign, she paired up with 00:18:40.259 --> 00:18:43.079 Tamina Snicka as her bodyguard in September 2013, 00:18:43.359 --> 00:18:46.839 creating this new dominant pairing. Right. Added 00:18:46.839 --> 00:18:49.279 muscle. But maybe the most memorable aspect of 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:52.240 this period was her highly publicized on -screen 00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:55.400 feud with the cast of E !A. Network's newly launched 00:18:55.400 --> 00:18:58.450 reality show, Total divas. Oh, this feud was 00:18:58.450 --> 00:19:00.369 genius because it was basically meta commentary. 00:19:01.250 --> 00:19:03.690 AJ, the lifelong wrestling fan who fought her 00:19:03.690 --> 00:19:05.930 way out of poverty, positioned herself as the 00:19:05.930 --> 00:19:08.670 true professional wrestler, defending the integrity 00:19:08.670 --> 00:19:10.470 of the division against the supposed reality 00:19:10.470 --> 00:19:13.210 stars. Right, the pipe bombshell promo. Exactly. 00:19:13.430 --> 00:19:16.049 She interrupted the cast on Raw with a scathing 00:19:16.049 --> 00:19:18.569 promo, just tearing them down, vowing to defeat 00:19:18.569 --> 00:19:20.329 every single member of the cast, Brie Bella, 00:19:20.470 --> 00:19:22.809 Naomi, Natalya, all of them, in defense of her 00:19:22.809 --> 00:19:25.259 title and what it represented. And that angle 00:19:25.259 --> 00:19:27.680 resonated fiercely with a lot of wrestling fans 00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:31.420 who maybe viewed the reality show as diluting 00:19:31.420 --> 00:19:33.099 the athletic nature of the women's division. 00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:37.140 AJ became the anti -Hollywood champion. It provided 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:40.440 a necessary thematic anchor for her reign. She 00:19:40.440 --> 00:19:42.400 carried that rivalry through the rest of 2013, 00:19:42.799 --> 00:19:45.180 remaining the champion despite facing the entire 00:19:45.180 --> 00:19:48.500 cast in various matches. And her reign achieved 00:19:48.500 --> 00:19:51.440 a major corporate milestone at WrestleMania XXX. 00:19:51.640 --> 00:19:54.099 That's right. She successfully defended the Divas 00:19:54.099 --> 00:19:56.720 Championship in that big 14 -woman match. Vickie 00:19:56.720 --> 00:19:58.839 Guerrero Invitational, I think it was called. 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:01.599 Yep. And crucially, this was the very first time 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:03.900 the Divas Championship was ever actually contested 00:20:03.900 --> 00:20:07.119 for at WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania. That's 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:09.259 a huge deal. That run fundamentally elevated. 00:20:09.319 --> 00:20:11.200 Elevated the belt standing. Absolutely. But, 00:20:11.259 --> 00:20:13.359 you know, dominance usually has a sharp end in 00:20:13.359 --> 00:20:15.299 wrestling. Yeah. The night right after WrestleMania 00:20:15.299 --> 00:20:17.980 XXX, she lost the title to the debuting Paige. 00:20:18.140 --> 00:20:21.299 Paige's debut. Yeah. Big shock. Huge shock. It 00:20:21.299 --> 00:20:24.420 ended that 295 day reign. AJ took a short time 00:20:24.420 --> 00:20:26.920 off after that. But the rivalry was far from 00:20:26.920 --> 00:20:30.440 over. No kidding. She returned in June 2014 and 00:20:30.440 --> 00:20:32.680 immediately challenged and defeated Paige to 00:20:32.680 --> 00:20:35.480 win the title right back. And this began that 00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:39.730 bizarre. often confusing frenemies, rivalry, 00:20:40.250 --> 00:20:43.130 the facetious best friends thing. Yeah, marked 00:20:43.130 --> 00:20:45.609 by unprovoked attacks and backhanded compliments. 00:20:45.730 --> 00:20:48.250 It was weird. But compelling. They traded the 00:20:48.250 --> 00:20:50.549 title multiple times, which seemed like a clear 00:20:50.549 --> 00:20:53.089 sign that WWE viewed them as the two pillars 00:20:53.089 --> 00:20:55.549 of the division at that point. Definitely. Her 00:20:55.549 --> 00:20:58.230 third and final title win came at Night of Champions 00:20:58.230 --> 00:21:01.670 in September 2014, making her a record -tying 00:21:01.670 --> 00:21:04.150 three -time Divas champion, matching the record 00:21:04.150 --> 00:21:06.650 previously set by Eve Torres. So when you look 00:21:06.650 --> 00:21:09.150 at her cumulative success, even beyond that single 00:21:09.150 --> 00:21:11.369 reign record, she still holds the overall record 00:21:11.369 --> 00:21:13.430 for the longest total time as Divas champion, 00:21:13.730 --> 00:21:16.970 a staggering 406 days across. those three reigns. 00:21:16.970 --> 00:21:20.269 Yeah, 406 days total. She was statistically and 00:21:20.269 --> 00:21:22.549 narratively the most dominant female performer 00:21:22.549 --> 00:21:25.430 of that entire era. No question. However, by 00:21:25.430 --> 00:21:28.069 late 2014, her time in the ring was clearly coming 00:21:28.069 --> 00:21:31.029 towards an end. She took time off primarily to 00:21:31.029 --> 00:21:33.289 address a pre -existing neck injury, which, as 00:21:33.289 --> 00:21:35.390 we know now, became a defining factor in her 00:21:35.390 --> 00:21:37.950 retirement. But before she left, she had that 00:21:37.950 --> 00:21:41.230 massive, really career -defining moment of public 00:21:41.230 --> 00:21:45.690 advocacy in February 2015. The tweet. The tweet 00:21:45.690 --> 00:21:48.450 heard around the wrestling world. This was the 00:21:48.450 --> 00:21:51.089 moment she publicly criticized WWE executive 00:21:51.089 --> 00:21:53.710 Stephanie McMahon on social media regarding the 00:21:53.710 --> 00:21:56.369 unequal treatment of the company's female wrestlers. 00:21:56.490 --> 00:21:59.470 This was a genuinely risky, politically charged 00:21:59.470 --> 00:22:03.039 move. I mean, think about the timing. She publicly 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:06.119 called out the massive disparity, pointing out 00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:08.279 that female wrestlers received only a fraction 00:22:08.279 --> 00:22:11.160 of the wages and significantly less screen time 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:13.819 than their male counterparts, despite generating 00:22:13.819 --> 00:22:16.279 record merchandise sales and sometimes top -rated 00:22:16.279 --> 00:22:18.920 segments. And this was just a few months after 00:22:18.920 --> 00:22:21.920 her husband, CM Punk, had his incredibly contentious 00:22:21.920 --> 00:22:23.720 exit from the company. Right. The atmosphere 00:22:23.720 --> 00:22:26.019 must have been tense. Extremely. Her speaking 00:22:26.019 --> 00:22:27.880 out like that put her own professional standing 00:22:27.880 --> 00:22:30.839 right on the line. Yet the company, perhaps surprisingly, 00:22:31.180 --> 00:22:33.640 actually acknowledged it. Both Stephanie and 00:22:33.640 --> 00:22:36.480 even WWE chairman Vince McMahon publicly addressed 00:22:36.480 --> 00:22:40.099 her comments. They did. And her criticism is 00:22:40.099 --> 00:22:42.859 widely regarded in the industry today as one 00:22:42.859 --> 00:22:46.140 of the pivotal foundational moments that really 00:22:46.140 --> 00:22:48.599 paved the way for the subsequent corporate push 00:22:48.599 --> 00:22:51.579 of the women's evolution or revolution. So she 00:22:51.579 --> 00:22:54.500 used her status as champion. Yeah, she used her 00:22:54.500 --> 00:22:56.779 status, her platform, her political capital, 00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:58.740 essentially for the benefit of the entire division. 00:22:58.920 --> 00:23:02.880 It was brave. Her final match was fittingly at 00:23:02.880 --> 00:23:06.819 WrestleMania 31 in March 2015. She teamed with 00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:10.180 her former rival Paige to defeat the Bella Twins, 00:23:10.200 --> 00:23:13.420 symbolically kind of passing the torch and closing 00:23:13.420 --> 00:23:16.279 out that era. She officially retired just a few 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:20.339 days later, April 3rd, 2015. And her memoir later 00:23:20.339 --> 00:23:23.430 confirmed the reasons for stepping away. Primarily, 00:23:23.509 --> 00:23:25.970 permanent damage to her cervical spine meant 00:23:25.970 --> 00:23:28.210 she physically could not continue wrestling at 00:23:28.210 --> 00:23:30.210 that demanding pace anymore. Makes sense. She 00:23:30.210 --> 00:23:32.269 also stated she felt her goals in wrestling were 00:23:32.269 --> 00:23:34.849 completely fulfilled. And yes, she admitted she 00:23:34.849 --> 00:23:37.190 felt deeply caught in the middle following CM 00:23:37.190 --> 00:23:40.150 Punk's controversial 2014 departure, though she 00:23:40.150 --> 00:23:42.210 did manage to continue working for over a year 00:23:42.210 --> 00:23:44.369 after he left, which is pretty remarkable in 00:23:44.369 --> 00:23:46.710 itself. Yeah, navigating that must have been 00:23:46.710 --> 00:23:49.809 incredibly difficult. I can only imagine. So 00:23:49.809 --> 00:23:51.849 she closed the book on her wrestling career, 00:23:52.029 --> 00:23:54.710 a world she fought so incredibly hard to enter 00:23:54.710 --> 00:23:57.029 and then conquer, and almost immediately opened 00:23:57.029 --> 00:24:00.289 a new chapter. She pivoted to a field she'd actually 00:24:00.289 --> 00:24:03.529 studied briefly way back at NYU, writing and 00:24:03.529 --> 00:24:06.390 creative production. And this transition wasn't 00:24:06.390 --> 00:24:09.130 just like a minor success. It was pretty monumental, 00:24:09.349 --> 00:24:13.420 wasn't it? Oh, absolutely. Her 2017 memoir, Crazy 00:24:13.420 --> 00:24:16.400 is My Superpower, How I Triumphed by Breaking 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:19.180 Bones, Breaking Hearts, and Breaking the Rules, 00:24:19.380 --> 00:24:22.039 it was an immediate commercial and critical success. 00:24:22.400 --> 00:24:25.140 And that title, right back to reframing the bipolar 00:24:25.140 --> 00:24:28.059 diagnosis. Directly addressed it. And it proved 00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:30.599 the mainstream appetite for her story. It debuted 00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:33.119 at number 10 on the New York Times bestseller 00:24:33.119 --> 00:24:35.880 list for hardcover nonfiction. Number 10, that's 00:24:35.880 --> 00:24:38.500 huge. It really is. She described writing as 00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:40.980 very much the next chapter of her life. proving 00:24:40.980 --> 00:24:43.400 her storytelling instincts extended far beyond 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:45.119 just the wrestling ring. And she didn't just 00:24:45.119 --> 00:24:47.319 stop with the memoir, right? She moved into other 00:24:47.319 --> 00:24:50.579 creative ventures. No, she kept going. In 2020, 00:24:50.819 --> 00:24:53.660 she co -founded Scrappy Heart Productions with 00:24:53.660 --> 00:24:56.740 the actress Emi Garcia. And the core mission 00:24:56.740 --> 00:25:00.180 of their company is vital. It's dedicated to 00:25:00.180 --> 00:25:03.140 elevating diverse female voices through high 00:25:03.140 --> 00:25:05.819 -quality genre storytelling. which, when you 00:25:05.819 --> 00:25:08.279 think about it, is a direct thematic continuation 00:25:08.279 --> 00:25:11.259 of the authenticity she championed in her wrestling 00:25:11.259 --> 00:25:13.480 career. That's a great point, and that partnership 00:25:13.480 --> 00:25:15.680 has been pretty prolific. They co -wrote multiple 00:25:15.680 --> 00:25:17.940 comic book series, linking her right back to 00:25:17.940 --> 00:25:20.700 her geek goddess roots. Yep. They worked on titles 00:25:20.700 --> 00:25:24.359 like GLOW vs. The Babyface, tying into the wrestling 00:25:24.359 --> 00:25:26.859 theme again, and a successful run on Dungeons 00:25:26.859 --> 00:25:29.779 & Dragons at the Spine of the World. She even 00:25:29.779 --> 00:25:31.940 contributed a story to DC Comics' prestigious 00:25:31.940 --> 00:25:35.740 Wonder Woman. Black and Gold Anthology. So this 00:25:35.740 --> 00:25:37.859 established her credibility, not just as, you 00:25:37.859 --> 00:25:39.519 know, a celebrity attaching her name to something, 00:25:39.619 --> 00:25:42.160 but as a genuine creative force in the comic 00:25:42.160 --> 00:25:44.259 book space. Absolutely. And she successfully 00:25:44.259 --> 00:25:46.799 moved into feature screenwriting as well. She, 00:25:46.920 --> 00:25:49.480 Garcia, and John Swetman co -wrote the screenplay 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:52.140 for the 2022 Netflix martial arts film Blade 00:25:52.140 --> 00:25:55.220 of the 47 Ronin. I saw that. Plus, her original 00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:58.440 pilot script, Home, made the Blacklist's inaugural 00:25:58.440 --> 00:26:02.579 Latinx TV list in 2020. Which, you know, getting 00:26:02.579 --> 00:26:04.480 on the blacklist indicates she's succeeding at 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:06.740 the highest level of Hollywood gatekeepers. She's 00:26:06.740 --> 00:26:10.000 taken seriously as a writer. Wow. So concurrently 00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:11.940 with all this creative work, she also cemented 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:13.920 her role as a dedicated advocate, especially 00:26:13.920 --> 00:26:16.759 for mental health. Yes. Having bravely shared 00:26:16.759 --> 00:26:18.920 her own experience with bipolar disorder in her 00:26:18.920 --> 00:26:21.720 book, she served as an ambassador for major mental 00:26:21.720 --> 00:26:24.259 health awareness organizations like the National 00:26:24.259 --> 00:26:27.099 Alliance on Mental Illness, NMI, and the Jed 00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:29.799 Foundation. She also championed animal welfare 00:26:29.799 --> 00:26:33.140 with the ASPCA. And NMI specifically recognized 00:26:33.140 --> 00:26:35.339 her advocacy work, didn't they? They did. They 00:26:35.339 --> 00:26:37.240 honored her with their Multicultural Outreach 00:26:37.240 --> 00:26:41.299 Award in 2018, emphasizing her success in destigmatizing 00:26:41.299 --> 00:26:43.500 mental health discussions, especially within 00:26:43.500 --> 00:26:46.119 diverse communities. She really put her platform 00:26:46.119 --> 00:26:48.859 to good use there. Definitely. Then in 2021, 00:26:49.099 --> 00:26:51.380 she made a brief kind of unexpected return to 00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:53.680 the wrestling world, but in an executive role. 00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:56.359 Yeah, she joined WSW Women of Wrestling as an 00:26:56.359 --> 00:26:58.579 executive producer, working alongside the owner 00:26:58.579 --> 00:27:00.519 Jeannie Buss, who also owns the L .A. Lakers. 00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:03.140 Right. Big connection there. It was a significant 00:27:03.140 --> 00:27:05.920 strategic move, actually. It coincided with W 00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:08.700 .O .W. signing a major distribution deal with 00:27:08.700 --> 00:27:11.839 ViacomCBS, suggesting she was involved in some 00:27:11.839 --> 00:27:14.220 pretty big corporate growth plans for them. And 00:27:14.220 --> 00:27:16.339 she even did some commentary for them. She did 00:27:16.339 --> 00:27:19.440 provide a color commentary for W .O .W. syndicated 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:21.279 weekly television program starting in September 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:26.160 2022. But the executive role was temporary. She 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:30.319 departed WOW in August 2023 upon the completion 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:32.960 of her season -long contract. Which, of course, 00:27:33.000 --> 00:27:35.400 left the door wide open for speculation on a 00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:37.920 potential in -ring return somewhere. And that 00:27:37.920 --> 00:27:40.759 speculation just exploded into reality in September 00:27:40.759 --> 00:27:45.079 2025. After over 10 years away from a WWE ring, 00:27:45.720 --> 00:27:48.660 April Jeanette Mendez as AJ Lee returned on SmackDown. 00:27:48.940 --> 00:27:50.940 This is arguably one of the most significant 00:27:50.940 --> 00:27:53.359 unannounced returns in modern wrestling history, 00:27:53.460 --> 00:27:55.640 just purely for the time elapsed and the circumstances 00:27:55.640 --> 00:27:57.319 involved. Absolutely. And she didn't come back 00:27:57.319 --> 00:27:59.730 for just a nostalgia pop, did she? Not at all. 00:27:59.769 --> 00:28:02.029 She came back for war. She immediately confronted 00:28:02.029 --> 00:28:05.109 and attacked Becky Lynch. And the context here 00:28:05.109 --> 00:28:08.650 is so critical. This was a direct escalation 00:28:08.650 --> 00:28:12.130 of that highly publicized, ongoing, very personal 00:28:12.130 --> 00:28:15.890 feud involving her husband, CM Punk, and Lynch's 00:28:15.890 --> 00:28:19.349 husband, Seth Rollins. Right. The personal, messy 00:28:19.349 --> 00:28:22.009 drama that defined so much of her early career 00:28:22.009 --> 00:28:25.930 has now, ironically, defined her unexpected comeback. 00:28:26.490 --> 00:28:28.450 We probably need to unpack that core conflict 00:28:28.450 --> 00:28:30.349 just a bit for the listener because it's so central 00:28:30.349 --> 00:28:33.299 to her return. Yeah. Definitely. The CM Punk 00:28:33.299 --> 00:28:35.859 versus Seth Rollins rivalry is intensely personal. 00:28:36.059 --> 00:28:38.900 It stems from years of animosity, public insults, 00:28:38.900 --> 00:28:41.079 professional disagreements, real life friction 00:28:41.079 --> 00:28:43.720 bleeding onto the screen. OK. And because both 00:28:43.720 --> 00:28:45.839 men are married to top tier female competitors, 00:28:46.059 --> 00:28:48.640 AJ Lee and Becky Lynch, respectively, the rivalry 00:28:48.640 --> 00:28:50.460 naturally spilled over into the mixed tag team 00:28:50.460 --> 00:28:52.980 realm. Which allows AJ Lee to step right into 00:28:52.980 --> 00:28:55.180 the white hot center of the company's main narrative 00:28:55.180 --> 00:28:58.150 without needing a lengthy buildup. She's immediately 00:28:58.150 --> 00:29:00.470 relevant because of her history, yes, but also 00:29:00.470 --> 00:29:02.829 because of her marriage. Instant main event status. 00:29:03.069 --> 00:29:05.490 And she proved her performance ability was still 00:29:05.490 --> 00:29:08.190 there immediately. At the recent Russell Palooza 00:29:08.190 --> 00:29:12.690 show, September 20th, 2025, AJ and CM Punk defeated 00:29:12.690 --> 00:29:15.910 Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins in that huge mixed 00:29:15.910 --> 00:29:17.990 tag team match. And the finish was important 00:29:17.990 --> 00:29:20.490 too, wasn't it? Crucial. That win wasn't just 00:29:20.490 --> 00:29:24.089 a win. AJ secured the victory by forcing Becky 00:29:24.089 --> 00:29:26.650 Lynch, arguably the top woman in the company 00:29:26.650 --> 00:29:29.210 right now, to submit. To the Black Widow. The 00:29:29.210 --> 00:29:32.549 Black Widow. That specific detail confirms her 00:29:32.549 --> 00:29:35.670 immediate credibility. She didn't rely on outside 00:29:35.670 --> 00:29:38.289 interference or some cheap shot. She defeated 00:29:38.289 --> 00:29:40.829 the current top woman cleanly with her signature 00:29:40.829 --> 00:29:44.349 submission maneuver. It sent a message. She is 00:29:44.349 --> 00:29:46.509 back at the highest competitive level and is 00:29:46.509 --> 00:29:49.049 a direct, immediate threat to the entire women's 00:29:49.049 --> 00:29:51.029 division. The landscape just changed dramatically. 00:29:51.029 --> 00:29:52.789 That's right. So let's take a moment just to 00:29:52.789 --> 00:29:54.950 review the key elements that really coalesce 00:29:54.950 --> 00:29:57.170 to make her persona so distinct and memorable. 00:29:57.269 --> 00:29:59.670 Because it's such a perfect blend of calculative 00:29:59.670 --> 00:30:02.309 strategy and genuine self -expression. It really 00:30:02.309 --> 00:30:05.220 is. First off, the name itself, A .J. Lee. Yeah, 00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:08.420 the Lee in her ring name wasn't random. It was 00:30:08.420 --> 00:30:11.019 a deliberate nod to her inner interests, taken 00:30:11.019 --> 00:30:13.599 from Wendy Lee, who's a prominent voice actress 00:30:13.599 --> 00:30:16.980 known for her work in anime. Specifically, Cowboy 00:30:16.980 --> 00:30:19.900 Bebop. Ah, okay. So even the name integrated 00:30:19.900 --> 00:30:22.579 that nerd culture aspect. Right from the start. 00:30:22.680 --> 00:30:25.140 It immediately differentiated her from her peers. 00:30:25.380 --> 00:30:27.759 And her look, too, was such a deliberate choice, 00:30:27.859 --> 00:30:30.359 standing out completely against the traditional 00:30:30.359 --> 00:30:33.700 diva's aesthetic of that time. Absolutely. She 00:30:33.700 --> 00:30:36.160 intentionally branded herself as a tomboy. Her 00:30:36.160 --> 00:30:38.559 ring attire was utilitarian but also distinctive. 00:30:39.789 --> 00:30:42.509 A t -shirt, jean shorts, and those iconic Chuck 00:30:42.509 --> 00:30:44.190 Taylor all -stars. They're Chucks, yeah. She 00:30:44.190 --> 00:30:46.369 stated that her goal was not only comfort, but 00:30:46.369 --> 00:30:48.789 also to create a distinctive... easily replicable 00:30:48.789 --> 00:30:51.269 look that fans, especially young women and girls, 00:30:51.390 --> 00:30:54.029 could use for cosplay. So she was actively appealing 00:30:54.029 --> 00:30:56.029 to the fandom community she herself belonged 00:30:56.029 --> 00:30:59.450 to. Smart branding. And her signature move also 00:30:59.450 --> 00:31:01.589 tied directly into that comic book interest she 00:31:01.589 --> 00:31:04.410 loved so much. Her finishing maneuver was the 00:31:04.410 --> 00:31:06.470 Black Widow submission, which is technically 00:31:06.470 --> 00:31:09.549 an octopus hold. But the naming reference is 00:31:09.549 --> 00:31:11.710 explicit. It's named after the Marvel Comics 00:31:11.710 --> 00:31:14.089 character Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow. 00:31:14.809 --> 00:31:16.970 This constantly reinforced the image of the quirky, 00:31:17.150 --> 00:31:20.230 dangerous comic book enthusiast. And visually, 00:31:20.369 --> 00:31:22.670 you just can't forget her constant skipping. 00:31:22.750 --> 00:31:25.250 The skipping entrance. It was her signature taunt 00:31:25.250 --> 00:31:28.910 emphasizing her unpredictable, almost childlike, 00:31:28.970 --> 00:31:32.049 but also chaotic energy as she entered the ring 00:31:32.049 --> 00:31:34.769 or circled an opponent. In terms of professional 00:31:34.769 --> 00:31:37.650 accolades, her dominance wasn't just a narrative 00:31:37.650 --> 00:31:40.569 choice by WWD. It was recognized by the industry 00:31:40.569 --> 00:31:42.569 itself year after year, wasn't it? Oh, definitely. 00:31:42.990 --> 00:31:45.829 The Pro Wrestling Illustrated, or PWI Awards, 00:31:46.170 --> 00:31:49.450 really confirmed her status as the face of the 00:31:49.450 --> 00:31:52.470 division during her peak. She won the PWI Woman 00:31:52.470 --> 00:31:54.650 of the Year Award for three consecutive years, 00:31:54.910 --> 00:31:58.309 2012, 2013, and 2014. Three years in a row. A 00:31:58.309 --> 00:32:00.369 three -peat. That's an extraordinary marker of 00:32:00.369 --> 00:32:02.369 consistency and impact. And we keep coming back 00:32:02.369 --> 00:32:04.559 to those champions. because they're so significant. 00:32:04.779 --> 00:32:08.779 Three WWE Divas Championship reigns, tying the 00:32:08.779 --> 00:32:12.359 record set by Eve Torres. And her record, 406 00:32:12.359 --> 00:32:15.740 cumulative days as champion, still the longest 00:32:15.740 --> 00:32:18.700 overall reign time. Still stands. She was also 00:32:18.700 --> 00:32:20.859 honored with the Slammy Award for Diva of the 00:32:20.859 --> 00:32:24.660 Year twice in 2012. and again in 2014. And for 00:32:24.660 --> 00:32:27.480 the ultimate geek goddess achievement, she holds 00:32:27.480 --> 00:32:30.299 that unique Guinness World Record. Right. In 00:32:30.299 --> 00:32:33.660 2012, she became the first female winner of WWE's 00:32:33.660 --> 00:32:35.759 annual Superstar Challenge video game tournament, 00:32:35.920 --> 00:32:39.259 playing WWE 12. That achievement just perfectly 00:32:39.259 --> 00:32:42.380 encapsulates her unique persona, a dominant champion 00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:44.539 in the ring who still held fast to her inner 00:32:44.539 --> 00:32:46.880 nerd identity and excelled there too. Exactly. 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:49.140 And finally, maybe the most intensely personal 00:32:49.140 --> 00:32:51.339 detail that shows her devotion to the craft, 00:32:51.640 --> 00:32:54.440 beyond... her marriage to Philip Brooks, CM Punk, 00:32:54.619 --> 00:32:57.720 in June 2014. It's the tattoo on the back of 00:32:57.720 --> 00:32:59.680 her neck that displays the numerical date of 00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:02.660 her very first WWE Divas Championship win, 6 00:33:02.660 --> 00:33:06.019 -16 -13, written out in tally marks. Wow. A permanent 00:33:06.019 --> 00:33:08.019 testament to achieving that singular lifelong 00:33:08.019 --> 00:33:10.619 dream she chased since she was 12. It really 00:33:10.619 --> 00:33:12.759 speaks to the seriousness with which she approached 00:33:12.759 --> 00:33:15.269 this goal. Like we said, this wasn't a hobby 00:33:15.269 --> 00:33:17.150 for her. This was her redemption from poverty, 00:33:17.250 --> 00:33:19.410 the thing she sacrificed everything for. Incredible 00:33:19.410 --> 00:33:22.109 journey. Hashtag, hashtag, outro. So when we 00:33:22.109 --> 00:33:24.630 really connect the entire arc of April Jeanette 00:33:24.630 --> 00:33:28.730 Mendez, what we see is a story built on radical 00:33:28.730 --> 00:33:32.490 authenticity and calculated risk. She took the 00:33:32.490 --> 00:33:35.430 intense, often painful reality of her mental 00:33:35.430 --> 00:33:38.849 health struggles and the genuine, sometimes marginalized 00:33:38.849 --> 00:33:41.690 honesty of her geek interests, and she leveraged 00:33:41.690 --> 00:33:43.390 them. She didn't hide them. No, she didn't apologize 00:33:43.390 --> 00:33:46.250 for them. She used them to craft this persona 00:33:46.250 --> 00:33:48.930 that resonated deeply enough to shatter wrestling 00:33:48.930 --> 00:33:52.069 records and then create a successful, multifaceted 00:33:52.069 --> 00:33:55.750 career pivot into writing, advocacy, and even 00:33:55.750 --> 00:33:57.769 executive production. It's quite remarkable. 00:33:57.769 --> 00:34:00.230 It really is a complete story. But now with the 00:34:00.230 --> 00:34:02.930 2020... return, it's suddenly an unfolding one 00:34:02.930 --> 00:34:05.490 again. We know her expertise is kind of divided 00:34:05.490 --> 00:34:07.170 equally between highly effective storytelling 00:34:07.170 --> 00:34:09.210 as a New York Times bestselling author and comic 00:34:09.210 --> 00:34:11.730 book writer and intensely effective in -ring 00:34:11.730 --> 00:34:13.610 performance. She understands narrative structure 00:34:13.610 --> 00:34:15.849 better than most, both inside and outside the 00:34:15.849 --> 00:34:17.969 ropes. Which raises a really important question 00:34:17.969 --> 00:34:20.570 for you, the listener, to think about. Given 00:34:20.570 --> 00:34:23.230 that her current return narrative is so deeply 00:34:23.230 --> 00:34:26.610 rooted in real life context, the emotional stakes 00:34:26.610 --> 00:34:30.150 of her husband's ongoing conflict. How will this 00:34:30.150 --> 00:34:33.130 new decade -later chapter influence the next 00:34:33.130 --> 00:34:35.869 great story she writes? Ooh, interesting question. 00:34:36.250 --> 00:34:38.489 Will the tension and conflict of this current 00:34:38.489 --> 00:34:41.650 run become the subject of her next memoir? Maybe. 00:34:42.030 --> 00:34:44.849 Or perhaps a screenplay. What new superpowers, 00:34:44.949 --> 00:34:46.989 if you will, will this latest chapter of conflict 00:34:46.989 --> 00:34:49.349 and high -stakes performance reveal about the 00:34:49.349 --> 00:34:51.750 lasting power of her unique brand of chaotic 00:34:51.750 --> 00:34:54.210 authenticity? Something to definitely keep an 00:34:54.210 --> 00:34:56.590 eye on, both in the ring and maybe on the bestseller 00:34:56.590 --> 00:34:58.670 list down the line. For sure. It's far from over.