AJ Lee absent after WrestleMania 42 loss; Fightful sources say she has not wrestled her final match

AJ Lee lost to Becky Lynch while defending the Women’s Intercontinental title at Night 1 of WrestleMania 42 and has been absent from WWE programming since that match. Sources contacted by Fightful Select believe Lee has not wrestled her final match.

Lee had returned to WWE in September 2025 ahead of Wrestlepalooza to begin a feud with Becky Lynch, appearing at major PLEs including Survivor Series and Elimination Chamber and defending her title on Monday Night Raw. That run culminated in the WrestleMania 42 rematch in which Lynch defeated Lee to conclude their programme.

Speculation about a possible Lee comeback intensified after Nikki Bella, Brie Bella and Paige lost to Fatal Influence at SummerSlam and the Bella Twins turned on Paige, a turn that echoes the 2015 storyline when Lee and Paige feuded with the Bella Twins and defeated Nikki and Brie at WrestleMania 31. Reporters and fans noted the parallels between the angles as the post-SummerSlam fallout unfolded.

According to Fightful Select, people close to the situation do not believe Lee has finished wrestling, but members of WWE’s creative team had no knowledge of any plans to add Lee to the Bella Twins–Paige storyline at SummerSlam. Fightful also reported that the talent involved in the SummerSlam angle were unaware of any potential plans to bring Lee in before Brie Bella suffered an injury.

Brie Bella sustained a scapula injury and is expected to be out of action for roughly three to six months, and WWE is proceeding with the Nikki Bella–Paige storyline: Paige returned during the August 28 SmackDown pre-taping in Ottawa, Ontario, and was attacked by Nikki Bella. The company has continued to advance that feud in Brie’s absence.

There is currently no confirmed return date or creative plan for AJ Lee, according to the Fightful Select reporting.