You remember the Chuck Taylors, right? And that skipping. Man, the skipping was everywhere. If you were watching wrestling in the early 2010s, AJ Lee wasn't just another name on the roster. She was the roster.
But then she disappeared. For a decade. People spent years whispering about "AJ Lee sexy" photoshoots or her "crazy chick" persona, but honestly, that’s just surface-level noise. It misses the point of who April Mendez actually is. Now that it’s 2026 and she’s back in the fold after that massive September 2025 return, the conversation has shifted. It's not about the old tropes anymore. It’s about how a woman who basically lived in her car managed to change an entire billion-dollar industry and then walked away when she was at the top of the mountain.
The Reality Behind the AJ Lee Persona
There’s this weird thing that happens when someone becomes a "sex symbol" in a male-dominated sport like pro wrestling. People stop looking at the work. They focus on the jean shorts and the "Black Widow" submission and forget that April was literally writing her own promos when nobody else was allowed to.
She wasn't "sexy" in the way the office wanted back then. They wanted models. She gave them a nerd from New Jersey who liked Cowboy Bebop and wore sneakers because she couldn't wrestle in heels anyway. It was a total middle finger to the status quo.
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The "crazy" gimmick? That's even more layered. In her memoir, Crazy Is My Superpower, she talks about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder at 20. Think about that for a second. She was playing a "mentally unstable" character on TV while privately managing a real-life diagnosis that she hadn't even told her bosses about. That’s not just acting. That’s survival.
Why the 2025 Return Actually Happened
Everyone thought she was done forever. Her neck was messed up, she was a New York Times bestselling author, and she was busy writing scripts for Netflix. Why come back now?
Honestly, it wasn't for the money. If you saw her on SportsCenter recently, she was pretty blunt about it. She said she felt "needed." The landscape of WWE changed when it moved to Netflix and ESPN. It became more about the "power couple" dynamics. When CM Punk got into it with Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch, the math just worked.
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- The Match: That mixed tag team match at Wrestlepalooza wasn't just a nostalgia trip.
- The Stakes: It was the first time she’d stepped into a ring for a real match since 2015.
- The Result: She forced Becky Lynch to submit. That’s a statement.
She isn't just back to be "CM Punk’s wife." She’s there to mentor. You see her backstage with girls like Cora Jade and Roxanne Perez, and you realize she’s basically the godmother of this entire generation. They all grew up wearing her shirts.
The Impact Nobody Talks About
Most fans focus on the titles. Yeah, she held the Divas Championship for 295 days. Cool. But her real legacy is that she made it okay to be a "fan" again. Before her, the women were often treated like intermission. She made the crowd chant her name during the main events.
She also broke the "diva" mold. By refusing to look like everyone else, she paved the way for the "Four Horsewomen." Without AJ Lee proving that a 5'2" girl in sneakers could sell more merch than the guys, you don't get the main event of WrestleMania featuring women.
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It’s easy to search for "AJ Lee sexy" and find old photos, but if you want to understand her, you have to look at the scars. The homelessness she faced as a kid. The way she fought through the "Divas" era when women were given three-minute matches. She’s a fighter who happens to look like the girl next door.
What’s Next for April Mendez?
So, where do we go from here? She’s signed a multi-year deal, but she’s not doing the full-time road schedule. She doesn't have to. She’s 38 now. She’s smarter about her bumps.
The rumor mill is already spinning about a solo run for the Women’s World Championship. A feud with Rhea Ripley? That would be nuclear. But April seems more interested in the storytelling side. She’s still co-running Scrappy Heart Productions. She’s still writing comics. She’s proof that you can be a multi-hyphenate and still kick someone's head off on a Saturday night.
If you’re looking to follow her journey more closely, stop focusing on the old "Diva" labels. Read her book. Watch her recent promos where she deconstructs the industry. She’s the most honest person in a business built on lies.
Actionable Next Steps:
If you want to support the real work AJ Lee is doing, check out her advocacy with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She’s been an ambassador for years, and it’s where her heart actually lives. Also, if you haven't read Crazy Is My Superpower, go get it. It’s better than any wrestling match she’s ever had.