Backstage Details On AJ Lee's WWE Return On Friday's SmackDown

Former WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee returned to WWE on Friday for the first time in a decade. Lee appeared on "SmackDown" to back up her husband, former WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk. The couple will face World Heavyweight Champ Seth Rollins and Intercontinental Women's Champion Becky Lynch at WWE WrestlePalooza on September 20 in Indianapolis, in a veritable battle of all-star married couples.

According to Fightful Select, AJ Lee's return was kept secret. Much like Brock Lesnar, she was not listed on the rundown for Friday's "SmackDown." A number of talent who were not scheduled for the show attended, as AJ's return was what many call a "curtain sellout," meaning the locker room crowded around the curtains to the arena, as well as any TV monitors, to catch a glimpse of the former WWE Diva's Champion's return. While the length of Lee's recently signed contract is now known, she is reportedly not in WWE for a one-off, as likely indicated by her handling of the WWE Intercontinental Women's Championship belt.

Lee hasn't been in WWE since the night after WrestleMania 31 in 2015, which at the time appeared to be her in-ring retirement. Lee returned to the wrestling business as part of "WOW: Women of Wrestling," but she was not an active competitor in the promotion. 

WWE WrestlePalooza is set to take place on September 20, the same day as AEW All Out, at Indianapolis's Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The show will not only mark the return of AJ Lee, but also Brock Lesnar, who will face John Cena at the event as part of Cen'a retirement tour.