Major name gets emotional after CM Punk reunited with AJ Lee on WWE SmackDown

AJ Lee returned to WWE after a decade and immediately went after Becky Lynch for her actions against CM Punk across both brands. Meanwhile, Charlotte Flair got emotional and reacted to Lee and Punk's segment from the show.

Stars such as Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, Bayley, and more were in their early years as performers when AJ Lee dominated competition on WWE's main roster. Lee was one of the pioneers in bringing change to the women's division, but unfortunately, she didn't get to live it, as she retired in 2015.

The landscape has changed drastically, but several top names reacted to AJ Lee's return to the industry and the Stamford-based promotion on Friday Night SmackDown. During the show's main event, Lee shared the ring with her real-life husband, CM Punk, for the first time in over a decade.

Today, Charlotte Flair took to her Instagram Story and reacted to their on-screen reunion with the Face Holding Back Tears emoji. The 14-time Women's Champion also appeared on the show in a recorded segment with Alexa Bliss.

"🥹," Flair wrote on Instagram.

Charlotte Flair reacts to AJ Lee's return! [Image credit: WWE's YouTube]

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Ex-WWE star reacts to AJ Lee's return

AJ Lee announced her retirement in 2015 and left the business. The 38-year-old veteran pursued other opportunities outside professional wrestling, but her return to the ring became a possibility when CM Punk returned to the Stamford-based promotion in 2023.

While her return garnered a lot of attention, Vince Russo thinks there might be a problem with her booking going forward. Speaking on Sportskeeda Wrestling's BroDown, the veteran writer called out Triple H for booking the show around pops and gave Nikki Bella's example, as she didn't get to do much following her return to the company.

"I don't know what you don't understand. He [Triple H] is the king of pops. It's another pop. I mean, seriously, that's why AJ Lee is here. It's another pop. I don't think it's gonna be long-term. I mean, I don't. If it is long-term, look at what happened to Nikki Bella. Nothing, zero. The same, exact thing will happen with AJ Lee if she remains on the roster," Russo said.

It'll be interesting to see how The Game books the three-time Divas Champion going forward on the main roster.