4 Reasons why AJ Lee must be pinned in her return match at WWE Wrestlepalooza

AJ Lee will team up with CM Punk to face Becky Lynch and Seth Rollins in a Mixed Tag Team Match this Saturday at Wrestlepalooza. The Black Widow made her return on the September 5 episode of SmackDown, taking out Big Time Becks, who had been terrorizing Lee's husband.

Fans are excited to see the former Divas Champion back in WWE after over a decade, but given the current dynamic, Lee shouldn't walk out of Indianapolis victorious. In fact, she should be the one taking the pinfall this Saturday, and here are four reasons for the same:

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#4. Seth Rollins and CM Punk can't afford to get pinned

The latest chapter of the longstanding rivalry between CM Punk and Seth Rollins has introduced a whole new dynamic with the involvement of their respective spouses. The upcoming bout will surely be one of, if not the biggest, Mixed Tag Team Matches in the promotion's history. But given the highly personal nature of their feud, neither Punk nor Rollins should get pinned at Wrestlepalooza, as it could risk diminishing the intensity of their rivalry.

The Visionary has vowed to make The Second City Saint's life a living hell, and ruining AJ Lee's first match in over 10 years would be the perfect way to continue his mission. This would make the eventual payoff even more satisfying once Rollins finally gets his comeuppance.

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#3. CM Punk has been pinned twice by Seth Rollins recently

If CM Punk and AJ Lee are supposed to lose, it wouldn't be wise for The Best in the World to take the pin, as it has already happened twice recently. First at SummerSlam, where Rollins successfully cashed in his MITB contract on a worn-out CM Punk, and then at Clash in Paris during the Fatal Four-Way World Heavyweight Championship match, in which The Second City Saint was once again pinned by Rollins following Becky Lynch's interference.

A third straight pinfall loss against The Visionary would likely hurt CM Punk's credibility. To prevent this, AJ Lee must be the one taking the pin at Wrestlepalooza.

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#2. The Women's Intercontinental Champion shouldn't lose to someone who hasn't wrestled in over 10 years

Becky Lynch currently reigns as the Women's Intercontinental Champion, having defeated the inaugural champion, Lyra Valkyria, at Money in the Bank 2025. While Valkyria was a great champion, Lynch, with the credibility she has built over the years, has elevated the title to greater heights.

There is no denying the hype surrounding AJ Lee's return, but given the fact that she has not competed inside the squared circle in over ten years, she shouldn't beat Becky Lynch in her first match back.

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#1. A better story could be told if AJ Lee loses at Wrestlepalooza

When AJ Lee initially left WWE in April 2015, the women's revolution hadn't yet begun in the global juggernaut. In her absence, the women's division has gone through a complete transformation. It's not just a matter of ring rust, as even the level of competition has increased significantly for The Black Widow to simply pick up where she left off.

Therefore, if Lee loses her first match back, it could present an opportunity to tell a better story than if she were to win, one with greater emotional stakes, perhaps. If she gets pinned at Wrestlepalooza, the 38-year-old could question if time had passed her by, leading to self-doubt.

This could eventually pave the way for the former Divas Champion to slowly scratch and claw her way back to earn another opportunity to challenge Becky Lynch. This would make her character arc resonate with the WWE Universe more and make for a captivating storyline.