AJ Lee's Best WWE Matches, According To Cagematch

In September 2025, AJ Lee finally returned to WWE after more than a decade away from the pro wrestling business. The former three-time Divas Champion is scheduled to compete in her first wrestling match in over 10 years at WWE Wrestlepalooza, where she'll team up with her husband, CM Punk, to battle World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins & Women's Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch in a mixed tag team match. The last time we saw AJ Lee in action was on the post-WrestleMania 31 episode of Monday Night Raw, where she picked up the victory in a six-woman tag team match.

RELATED: AJ Lee's WWE Return Match Announced

AJ Lee didn't need a lot of time to stand out on WWE's then-Divas division, making her main roster debut in 2011 and quickly establishing herself as the division's top star just a couple of years later. AJ got everyone's attention during a time when women struggled to get a lot of TV time, quickly becoming one of the most unique (and most memorable) characters of the early-to-mid 2010s. Granted, the lack of time - especially on PPV - didn't allow AJ Lee to put on all-time classics quite like today's female stars, but her impact on the women's division is undeniable. The following are AJ Lee's five best matches in WWE, per Cagematch.

5. AJ Lee Vs. Natalya - WWE Divas Championship (TLC 2013)

   
   

AJ Lee Retained The Divas Championship Against Natalya At TLC 2013

Stipulation	WWE Divas Championship Match
Time	6:35
Winner	AJ Lee
Cagematch Rating	6.53

AJ Lee gets a lot of credit for leaving the female division in a better place, but her peers deserve some flowers as well. Natalya was one of Lee's greatest challengers during the latter's 295-day WWE Divas Championship reign. The reliable Canadian came up short in a fatal four way match that also involved Naomi and Brie Bella at Night of Champions, but earned another shot at the championship after forcing AJ Lee to submit at Survivor Series.

Natalya finally had her opportunity to challenge AJ in a singles match at TLC. Despite only getting six minutes from bell to bell on a pay-per-view, AJ and Nattie put on a fantastic performance. Natalya overpowered the defending champion throughout the whole bout, while AJ relied on her quick strikes. At one point, it looked like Natalya was about to win with the Sharpshooter, but Tamina Snuka - AJ's bodyguard at the time - got involved. Lee took advantage and nearly stole the win with her Black Widow submission hold, but Nattie wasn't done yet. She fought back and eventually applied the Sharpshooter again, but AJ reversed it into a pinning combination and grabbed Natalya's hair to pick up the cheap pinfall victory.

4. AJ Lee, Paige & Naomi Vs. The Bella Twins & Natalya (Raw, March 30, 2015)

This Was AJ Lee's Final WWE Match For Over A Decade

Stipulation	Six-Woman Tag Team Match
Time	13:06
Winners	AJ Lee, Paige & Naomi
Cagematch Rating	6.67

At WrestleMania 31, AJ Lee teamed up with her rival-turned-friend Paige to defeat The Bellas in a tag team match. The following night, the four girls met again on the post-WrestleMania episode of Monday Night RAW. This time, it was a six-woman tag team match, with Naomi joining the babyfaces while Natalya teamed with Nikki and Brie. The female stars were slowly starting to get more television time around this time, as this took place just a month after the company received backlash following a 30-second tag match between The Bellas and Paige/Emma on the February 23 episode of RAW.

The six performers delivered a fun match in front of a loud post-WrestleMania crowd, who appreciated their effort with a "let's go divas" chant. AJ Lee spent a lot of time inside the ring, getting worked over by the heels during their heat spot. Then, she finally made the hot tag to Naomi, who eventually won the match for her team. What seemed like another regular 'Divas' match on RAW became a memorable bout when AJ Lee announced her retirement just a few days later, making it the final match of her first WWE run.

AJ Lee Vs. Natalya - WWE Divas Championship (Main Event, March 11, 2014)

AJ Lee Kept Her Divas Title Heading Into WrestleMania 30

Stipulation	WWE Divas Championship Match
Time	14:19
Winner	AJ Lee
Cagematch Rating	6.77

You might've noticed by now, but AJ Lee and Natalya shared a lot of chemistry inside the squared circle. Just a few weeks before WrestleMania 30, where AJ Lee would defend her Divas Title in a 14-woman melee, the two talented stars battled in a rare championship bout on WWE Main Event. It followed the same 'formula' as their aforementioned TLC matchup, as Natalya's strength was on display once more, slamming AJ Lee a number of times. But this time, they were given more time to shine on Main Event. AJ used her agility (and, as the heel, several cheapshots!) to her advantage, but it seemed like Natalya had the champion's number.

The action got more intense after AJ slapped Natalya in the face, and they went back-and-forth from there, engaging in an exciting reversal sequence. First, AJ turned Natalya's backbreaker attempt into the Black Widow finishing move. Natalya escaped it and proceeded to reverse AJ's sunset flip right into the Sharpshooter, which Lee then turned into a small package for a close nearfall. Nattie applied another Sharpshooter a few moments later, but Tamina turned out to be the difference maker yet again. AJ took advantage of the distraction, retaining her WWE Divas Championship after Natalya tapped out to the Black Widow.

2. AJ Lee Vs. Kaitlyn - WWE Divas Championship (Payback 2013)

AJ Lee Won Her First WWE Divas Championship From Kaitlyn At Payback 2013

Stipulation	WWE Divas Championship Match
Time	9:59
Winner	AJ Lee
Cagematch Rating	6.92

This match with Kaitlyn at Payback 2013 is one of the most important nights of AJ Lee's career, as it marked the beginning of her historic Divas Championship reign. Not only that, but AJ and Kaitlyn delivered one of the best female matches on pay-per-view in a really long tim. After years of awful "Santa's Little Helpers" matches and whatnot, seeing two 'Divas' involved in an actual program heading into a major show felt fresh, and they delivered the goods once the bell rang.

The demanding audience in Chicago appreciated the intensity in this one, with Kaitlyn going after AJ aggressively right from the get go, after the challenger blew her a kiss. Kaitlyn rammed Lee's head into the announce table and put a little extra sauce on every move she did, and AJ fought right back by hitting Kaitlyn with a belt. Needless to say, WWE fans weren't used to this in 'Divas' matches! In the end, Kaitlyn couldn't find a way out of the Black Widow and AJ became the new champion.

In an interview published on the MuscleManMalcolm YouTube channel in May 2023, Kaitlyn revealed they had to "break the rules" in order for the match to stand out:

So we went over on our time on that match and it's a pay-per-view. You should never, never do that, but AJ made the call. So the [referee] was like, 'You guys need to go home, you have X amount of minutes,' and [AJ] made the call to keep going. And I was like, 'All right, I'm with you.' So, we kind of committed in that moment to being like, whatever happens, happens," Kaitlyn explained. "We were so committed to that story, and we had put so much of ourselves leading up to that, that we were like, 'We're not just going to cut it short.' (h/t Wrestling Inc)

1. AJ Lee Vs. Naomi (WWE NXT Season 3, November 23, 2010)

A Rare Great Match From The "Game-Show Era" Of WWE NXT

Stipulation	Singles Match
Time	5:57
Winner	AJ Lee
Cagematch Rating	7.23

You were not expecting this match to top the list, were you!? AJ Lee made her debut on WWE television as a participant in the third season of NXT, which was still a (terrible) game-show at the time. On the November 23, 2010, episode of NXT, AJ stepped into the ring to compete in only her eighth televised match. Her opponent was fellow future top star, Naomi. AJ walked out first, being accompanied to the ring by her WWE Pro, Primo! Naomi entered next, also alongside her WWE Pro, Kelly Kelly.

With the main roster wrestlers looking on at ringside, the two hungry NXT Rookies put on a show in just six short minutes. AJ and Naomi put on a fast-paced competitive matchup that some fans still talk about to this day, showing they were here to make an impact. AJ picked up the win via submission with the Black Widow, proving her submission hold was already effective all the way back in November 2010. Kaitlyn would go on to win NXT Season 3, and AJ Lee would debut on the main roster (alongside Kaitlyn) the following year.