WWE planning "red herring" for AJ Lee return; could replace her with former champion, analyst believes

AJ Lee has been linked to a potential WWE return after the events of Clash in Paris on Sunday and last Monday's episode of RAW. However, an analyst is anticipating a possible "red herring" by the company ahead of Wrestlepalooza.

After Becky Lynch helped Seth Rollins screw CM Punk and retain the World Heavyweight Championship at Clash In Paris, the general consensus among fans and the rumor mill is that The Geek Goddess is set to return to the biggest wrestling company in the world.

However, Sam Roberts is not yet convinced about Lee's return despite all the signs on television. He explained on his Notsam Wrestling podcast the possibility of a "red herring" or WWE misleading fans about it, and going with a safer bet in Rhea Ripley, who interacted with Punk on Monday's edition of RAW.

"Why are we establishing an on-screen relationship, a friendship between CM Punk and Rhea Ripley? Is there a chance that it's not AJ Lee at Wrestlepalooza? Is there a chance that it's CM Punk and Rhea Ripley? … Maybe WWE is trying to throw Rhea Ripley into the mix so that people like us can speculate wildly and start to go, 'Well, maybe it's not this, maybe it's that.' So, it's not so clear the direction that it's going. They present us a road that has multiple forks in it. Maybe it's a red herring, maybe it's we think it's going to be AJ Lee, but just in case it's not AJ Lee, let's start building some foundation so it can be Rhea Ripley," Roberts said.

While WWE is known for swerving fans, it'll be hard to disappoint as "Mami" is one of the most popular stars on the roster. However, the company also slipped and spoiled Lee's return via a reply by WWE Shop's account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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AJ Lee's last WWE appearance was a decade ago

If AJ Lee makes her triumphant return to WWE on SmackDown or at Wrestlepalooza, it will be her first appearance for the company since April 3, 2015. It has been more than a decade since she last appeared and wrestled in the Stamford-based promotion.

Lee retired from the ring on the RAW after WrestleMania 31, teaming up with Paige and Naomi to defeat Natalya and The Bella Twins. She returned to wrestling in 2021 as an executive producer for Women of Wrestling. She left WOW after two years and focused on her career as a writer.

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