Latest news with #AJLee
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Roxanne Perez Pushes For Popular WWE Legend To Wrestle One More Match
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. WWE Raw superstar Roxanne Perez has called for former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee to make an in-ring comeback. She has gone as far as stating Lee is her ultimate dream opponent. Lee, a pivotal figure in WWE's women's division, has not competed since her retirement in 2015. However, WWE fans have long hoped for her return. Speaking to Sports Illustrated, Perez did not hold back her admiration. When asked if a match against AJ Lee would be a dream scenario, Perez emphatically stated, "Absolutely. Absolutely." She continued, "AJ Lee is my—that could be my retirement match, to be honest. She is definitely my dream match and I have a feeling that that could happen if she comes back. Please come back." Lee was a three-time Divas Champion and known for her unique persona and strong mic skills, leaving a significant mark before the full swing of the Women's Evolution. Her departure in April 2015 left many WWE fans wanting more. More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation Perez's comments come after a report from WrestleVotes suggested that WWE is very open to the idea of an AJ Lee return. WrestleVotes previously stated, "It is a question I get quite a bit. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 17: Roxanne Perez surprises Bayley from the stands during Smackdown at Pechanga Arena on January 17, 2025 in San Diego, California. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 17: Roxanne Perez surprises Bayley from the stands during Smackdown at Pechanga Arena on January 17, 2025 in San Diego, California. As far as I know, WWE is totally on board for it. They would welcome it." The report continued, "She picks up the phone and she says, 'I'm in.' They're going to say, 'Yes. What took so long?'" However, WrestleVotes also noted the personal nature of such a decision: "I would say the only two people that probably know that answer are AJ Lee and CM Punk, and whatever that answer may be is up to them. So we'll see." Perez, herself a former NXT Women's Champion and one of WWE Raw's rising stars, clearly represents a new generation inspired by talents like Lee. Her public plea adds another voice to the chorus hoping to see Lee lace up her boots once more. While any return is purely speculative and up to Lee, the enthusiasm of current talent and WWE's reported openness keep that dream alive for many fans. It will be interesting to see if Lee comes back ever, considering it's been a decade. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Fox News
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
WWE star Zelina Vega recalls wrestling in NJ, making history as US champ and touts SummerSlam
WWE SummerSlam will be a two-night event for the first time in its history when the premium live event takes place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, later this summer. For Zelina Vega, it will be a homecoming of sorts. The current women's United States champion grew up two rivers to the east in Queens, New York, but got her legs underneath her as a wrestler in the Garden State, specifically in Union City. "I was training at the Ace Arena in Jersey for a while," Vega shared with Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "Me and A.J. Lee actually trained together in Jersey and it also kind of helped me prepared for the role, if I'm going to be honest, in 'Fighting with My Family' to play her. It was just getting to know her then and applying that now and seeing it where it all kind of went down. "But yeah, I spent a lot of time in New Jersey training and just that whole New York/New Jersey feel, it was just where I was constantly when I was coming." Vega won the Women's United States Championship in a match against Chelsea Green after WrestleMania 41. The title was added to the menu as another opportunity for the loaded women's roster on "SmackDown." The "Raw" roster has the Women's Intercontinental Championship. Vega told Fox News Digital previously that she hoped WWE was going to add a midcard title to the fold, and now she holds the belt – the first singles championship of her career in the company. "It feels amazing … When I was growing up, I just wanted to be a part of it," she said. "And of course, I wanted to be champion. I made this huge thing in my mind when I was a kid, I was like, 'I'm gonna be champion, this is gonna happen for me.' I didn't see a Plan B in my mind. "Now, it's like, not only did you make it, not only you're champion, you're also a part of history. First-ever Queen of the Ring, like I never thought that was gonna happen. So, it's still shocking me but also that eight-year-old Thea that was like trying to get all of this sorted out in my mind. I didn't see a Plan B, I was so stubborn. I was like, 'No, this is happening.' So, proving her right, it feels like the most amazing feeling." Vega, as confident as ever that she will be walking into SummerSlam as the champion, also had advice for the young girls who are looking up at her. "It's just, never give up on you because you will have so many nos, you will have so many people giving you reasons as to why you shouldn't be champion, why you shouldn't make it where you want to be," she explained to Fox News Digital. "But as long as you don't give up on you, no one's going to stop you. "You don't take 'no' for an answer and you don't give up on yourself. If I can do this and I can stand here as champion, it should be proven in so many people's minds that your own determination is what's going to get you where you need to be." Fans interested in attending SummerSlam can get their tickets on Ticketmaster. The event will take place on Aug. 2 and Aug. 3. "It's our first-ever two-night SummerSlam, which is crazy because usually that's only WrestleMania," she said. "There's a lot of buzz about it. The whole week is really gonna be amazing because it's in just where I grew up. So, it's kinda cool to feel like it's a coming home feeling, whether it's 'Raw,' 'SmackDown,' and then the two-day SummerSlam. It's gonna be really fun." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
This is how AJ Lee saved Bayley's WWE career and inspired the Hugger Era
(Image Via WWE) Bayley is one of the most popular WWE Superstars , but her journey was not always easy. Before becoming the 'Role Model,' she had to work hard to find her place. She did not always feel confident or sure about her character. But with some good advice and fan support, Bayley found her famous 'Hugger' gimmick that made her stand out. Bayley has now opened up about her early days in WWE. She spoke about the struggles she faced and how WWE legend AJ Lee helped her in a big way. That moment helped Bayley grow and build the character that fans loved for years. Bayley's match with AJ Lee fueled the "Hugger" movement Bayley did not plan to become the 'Hugger.' It started during a match with AJ Lee on NXT. Something simple she did in the ring got a big reaction from the fans, and everything changed after that. In a chat on Insight with Chris Van Vliet , she shared: by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending local enterprise accounting software [Click Here] Esseps Learn More Undo "It was actually my match with AJ, we were doing something where I literally went to hug and I was just going to hug her as a fan, and then just me hugging her got a crazy reaction ... the next match, they just started chanting like 'Bayley's gonna hug you,' and that was never my thought of being like 'Oh I'm gonna be a hugger,' ... but it was from that match." Cody Rhodes talks to Bayley about the state of women's wrestling: What Do You Wanna Talk About? Bayley said the crowd helped shape her character. She also shared that the idea for her 'Hugger' style came from a movie character she loved growing up. "My character came from Superstar Molly Shannon, Superstar the movie. That's where I stemmed it from. I was like, 'Okay I can have all the nervous antics like her and then I could just be a super fan.' And Dusty [Rhodes] loved it." AJ Lee's advice has changed everything When Bayley first joined WWE, she felt out of place. She did not dress like the other women and was scared that she might lose her job. That is when AJ Lee stepped in to help her feel better and stay true to herself. "I thought I was going to get fired my first month because I wasn't girly enough, cause I didn't dress the part ... one of my bosses I guess asked AJ to talk to me because I was not dressed appropriately as in like, I didn't look presentable enough," Bayley recalled. AJ did not agree with the criticism and gave Bayley advice that made a big difference. "She looked at him, kind of annoyed at him, and was like 'I got it.' And then grabbed my arm and talked to me for an hour ... basically told me, 'You don't have to change yourself to get to where you want to be, but you do work for this company, so you need to meet them halfway' ... that again changed everything for me and that was when I started figuring out the hugger stuff." Also Read : Becky Lynch set to compete in a huge title match at WWE Backlash 2025 Bayley's story shows how tough the start can be, but with help, belief, and fans by her side, she found her way. Thanks to the advice of AJ Lee and her own creativity, the 'Hugger' became one of the most loved characters in WWE history.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ranking potential surprise Royal Rumble entrants, from Randy Orton to Bad Bunny
The Royal Rumble is almost here and the traditional guessing game about surprise entrants is well underway. Even the confirmed return of Charlotte Flair has fanned the flames, with speculation that the announcement might be a ploy to cover up a more surprising return. Who could be the unexpected entrants this time around? Here are ten names on our radar: AJ Lee Let's get this one dealt with straight away. Ever since CM Punk returned to WWE, there has been excited chatter among his fans that AJ Lee, Punk's real-life spouse, might make a similarly surprising comeback. Will it happen? Up until now, it's largely been a guessing game. That was until Punk poured gas on the flames of speculation by telling Jackie Redmond that there was one 'big name" he wanted to see in this year's women's match. As teases go, this one was as subtle as a sledgehammer. If the former Divas champion doesn't appear, fans will have every right to feel a bit miffed with 'The Second City Saint'. Likelihood: 6 out of 10. Ilja Dragunov If you believe the official line, this one should be off the table. The WWE says that Dragunov injured his knee last fall and will be out of action for at least six months, which would delay any return until March at the earliest. Still, we know that wrestling companies aren't always 100% truthful when it comes to these things and rumors are already swirling that 'The Mad Dragon' is fit and ready for a Rumble return. Judging by his Instagram posts, he's certainly preparing for something. We'll be keeping our fingers crossed that we see him this Saturday. Likelihood: 8 out of 10. Trick Williams Last year's men's Rumble featured two NXT names, both of whom (Bron Breakker and Carmelo Hayes) have since had solid runs on the main roster. If anyone is well-positioned to do the same thing this year it has to be the former NXT champion Trick Williams. The 30-year-old has done an excellent job as NXT's go-to headliner over the past year. He deserves the chance to make a name for himself in this year's Rumble – and perhaps also settle a few old scores with Melo. Likelihood: 7 out of 10. Asuka With Dakota Kai sidelined due to injury again, the chances of a full Damage CTRL reunion in the Rumble have been dashed. But where does that leave 'The Empress of Tomorrow,' who would have likely been the cornerstone of such a move? It's now approaching a year since we saw Asuka. There's some serious anticipation that this will change this weekend. Based on current reports, we certainly shouldn't be ruling it out. Expect a big pop if this one comes off. Likelihood: 7 out of 10. Joe Hendry Are we about to enter a second wave of Hendry-mania? The silver-shampooed Scotsman had the wrestling world eating out of the palm of his hand last year when he made his big cameo appearance in NXT, thanks in part to him having the catchiest theme song in wrestling. With the new WWE/TNA partnership, and Hendry holding the latter's world championship, the stars look perfectly aligned for an appearance this weekend. Put me down as a believer on this one. Likelihood: 9 out of 10. Randy Orton It's been a while since 'The Viper' was taken out of action following a nasty piledriver from his unhinged former ally Kevin Owens. So is now the time for a comeback? An Orton return would certainly add a fresh twist to the ongoing Cody Rhodes/Kevin Owens rivalry, potentially even setting up a future vendetta against the Universal Champion. Either way, it's hard to imagine that Orton won't feature at WrestleMania. If that's the plan, this would be the right time to start putting it into action. Likelihood: 6 out of 10. Jade Cargill Last year's Rumble saw the debut of Jade Cargill, finally unleashing the anticipation that had been building ever since the former AEW star was unveiled as WWE's latest signing. Cargill would go on to dominate the women's tag team division before being taken out of action following a mysterious backstage attack seemingly designed to build toward a singles match at WrestleMania. Ordinarily, having the same talent be the 'surprise' entrant at back-to-back Rumbles might feel a bit risky. But I suspect 'Big Money Jade' has the star power to pull it off. Likelihood: 9 out of 10. Malakai/Aleister Black WWE has been hitting consistent home-runs with its signings from AEW, most recently with the lucha sensation Penta. Now it looks like the company might be about to get its hands on another of Tony Khan's talents in the form of Malakai Black. The tattooed martial artist is certainly well-known enough to get a big Rumble pop (not least given he wrestled in WWE until 2021). But perhaps we shouldn't get excited just yet. Media reports suggest that Black's AEW contract limits any WWE return for a few weeks yet. Likelihood: 2 out of 10. Matt Cardona/Zack Ryder Returning to the couples theme, could we also see a comeback for another wrestling spouse, namely Mr Chelsea Green (aka Matt Cardona)? Cardona's WWE run as Zack Ryder is ancient history now. But the ultra-charismatic New Yorker has exuded star quality in the indies, as well as winning praise for his work in TNA and Ring of Honor. He also talked a good game when asked about a WWE return by Ariel Helwani earlier this month. It helps that the WWE clearly holds his wife in such high esteem (and quite rightly so, for what it's worth). Likelihood: 4 out of 10. Bad Bunny The three-time Grammy winner was praised to the hilt for his work with Damian Priest at Backlash two years ago, but has been conspicuous by his absence since then. Sure, adding one of the world's most in-demand musicians adds somewhat of a logistical challenge. But the Latin supremo set tongues wagging when he hinted at a future WWE return during an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this month. Given the potential reach of the Netflix deal, you'd suspect that Nick Khan and Triple H would move mountains for the chance to make that happen. Likelihood: 3 out of 10.
