Let’s light it up!
After ten years of absence from the WWE, April Mendez (AJ Lee) has found her way home after years of the crowd chanting her name.
On Sept. 5, Friday Night SmackDown started normally in Chicago. John Cena opened his last Friday night show with the biggest confirmation that she was there, after only rumors of her return.
He addressed the crowd, “You bring people back to the WWE and you know what I’m talking about.”
It clicked into place for everyone in the Allstate Arena and everyone watching at home that night. The woman who made crazy cool had returned home and was there for one last time.
Her music hit later that night, and one of the biggest pops in WWE history came about. Her return generated massive viewership, showing 178 million views across WWE’s social platforms in the first several days. It saw 2.8 million views in the first hour and then 93 million views in the first 12 hours.
But how did this come about?
The 3-time Divas Champion fought in her last match on March 30, 2015. A few days later, WWE announced her retirement from in-ring competition due to ongoing neck issues. Lee wrestled with damaged cervical spine disks, specifically three herniated disks, which were the biggest factor in her retirement.
Lee also felt awkward working in the same environment after her husband had a public falling out with the same company a year before her departure.
Many years later, she confirmed that she was suffering from poor mental health, which was becoming overwhelming for her. She has become an advocate for mental health since then, sharing how she overcame her struggles.
She released her autobiography, “Crazy is My Superpower,” in 2017, which delves deeper into her journey from a scrappy girl in an unstable home to a wrestling champion.
She was always one to say “never say never” to her wrestling return. She signed a multi-year, full-time contract with WWE. The contract will set the stage for her ongoing appearances over the next few years. This isn’t a temporary return; she is back and better than ever.
If one thing is for certain, the wrestling world is very excited to see her use the Black Widow submission move one more time.
