Current WWE champion did not anticipate to be at WrestleMania 42

WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas is shaping up to be a star-studded affair. Several WWE championships will be defended on April 18 and April 19. A current champion recently revealed that they didn’t expect to compete at The Show of Shows.

The name in question is AJ Lee, who holds the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. She defeated Becky Lynch to capture the gold in February at Elimination Chamber, marking her first title win in over 11 years. On Saturday, The Geek Goddess will return to The Grandest Stage of Them All for the first time since 2015. Lee will defend her championship against The Man in a rematch.

In a recent interview with The TakeDown on Sports Illustrated, Lee discussed her WWE comeback and said it was a surreal experience. The Geek Goddess added that she didn’t expect to win a championship and compete at WrestleMania 42 following her return.

“Never would have thought I’d be in a match [WarGames] like that. Um, I don’t want to make a list because, to me, right now, this era is about just enjoying it and being surprised and being able to like, soak it in, and have fun every second. Did not expect a title. Did not expect another ‘Mania match. So, as long as I’m (…) just sort of here for the ride, I think fun things will come my way.”

You can watch the full interview below.

Lee returned to WWE in the buildup to Wrestlepalooza 2025. She joined forces with her husband, CM Punk, in his feud against Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch. The Best in the World and The Geek Goddess defeated Rollins and Lynch in a mixed tag team match at the premium live event.

AJ Lee and CM Punk share WWE RAW Superstar as their “work wife”

In the same interview, AJ Lee spoke about working with CM Punk in WWE after over a decade. She also opened up about her relationship with RAW Superstar Bayley. Lee jokingly said The Role Model was hers and Punk’s “work wife.”

“We share [a] work wife in Bayley. We’re always like, ‘She’s mine – no, she’s mine,'” Lee said.

Bayley, Punk, and Lee are close friends in real life. They hang out together outside WWE and often share pictures on social media. The Role Model challenged The Geek Goddess for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on March 16 and lost. It will be interesting to see if they share the ring again in the coming months.

If you use quotes from here, please credit The Takedown and give an H/T to Sportskeeda for the transcription.