Browsing: returns

Oct 19, 2025, 10:18 PM ET

CHICAGO — First-year Anaheim Ducks coach Joel Quenneville returned to the United Center on Sunday night for the first time since he and two other former Chicago Blackhawks executives were banned from the NHL in October 2021 for their mishandling of a sexual assault allegation by a former player in 2010.

Quenneville, 67, has the Ducks off to a 2-2-1 start almost four years after he was forced to resign as coach of the Florida Panthers. He was banned from the NHL for nearly three years.

“I’m grateful to be back in the game,” Quenneville said before Chicago’s 2-1 win on Ryan Donato’s overtime goal. “I’m excited about being back in here in Chicago.”

It has been a long road for Quenneville, the second-winningest coach in NHL history. His 971 career victories entering Sunday trail only Scotty Bowman’s 1,244.

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An independent investigation commissioned by the Blackhawks led to Quenneville stepping down from the Panthers in October 2021. The investigation concluded the team mishandled allegations raised by 2008 first-round draft pick Kyle Beach against video coach Brad Aldrich during the team’s first Stanley Cup run.

Former Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman and assistant GM Al MacIsaac also resigned and were prohibited from working in the NHL.

They were reinstated by the league in July 2024. Bowman became the Edmonton Oilers’ general manager three weeks later. The Ducks signed Quenneville in May to replace Greg Cronin.

Quenneville has spent parts of 25 NHL seasons behind the benches of St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and Florida. He guided the Blackhawks for more than 10 years and led them to championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

The Blackhawks fired Quenneville in November 2018 after a 6-6-3 start. He joined the Panthers for the 2019-20 season.

Quenneville returned to the United Center for the first time with Florida in January 2020 and received a video tribute from the Blackhawks and a roaring ovation from fans. He was behind the Panthers’ bench in the arena four times during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season, but no fans were present.

Quenneville seemed a little uncertain about how he might be received by United Center fans this time.

“The memories we had were all very positive here,” he said. “I’m just happy to be back in that building and hear the crowd being excited, and the crowds look like they’ve been good so far this year.”

When asked if he expected acknowledgment from fans, Quenneville responded with his signature, “We’ll see.”

The reaction turned out to be muted and mixed.

Public address announcer Gene Honda called Quenneville’s name in a routine introduction as the visiting team coach about 10 minutes before the opening faceoff. A handful of fans cheered and about the same number booed, with only about half of the United Center’s 19,717 seats occupied.

The Ducks conducted background checks and spoke with Beach before hiring Quenneville, who said he has accepted responsibility for his role in failing to properly address the allegations and has engaged in educational activities to deepen his understanding of sexual assault scenarios.

“Right from the day that we joined the Ducks, it’s been a lot of positivity,” Quenneville said. “Just getting around people that are in the game, being around the organization, having a young team, kind of reminds me of the team when we were here.”

With Anaheim, Quenneville took over a team with the NHL’s third-longest active playoff drought. The Ducks finished sixth in the Pacific Division last season at 35-37-10 after being in the bottom two for the previous four years.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Darby Allin defeated Jon Moxley in an “I Quit” match at AEW WrestleDream on Saturday with some help from an old friend, Sting.

The match was simply brutal, with both wrestlers dishing out a ton of pain.

Moxley gained the advantage, thanks in part to the Death Riders.

However, Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis then went dark.

Sting emerged with his patented bat, choked Moxley and attacked the Death Riders. He then literally passed the bat to his old partner-in-crime, who used it to his advantage.

Allin eventually won with the Scorpion Deathlock, forcing Moxley to quit.

The rivalry between Moxley and Allin dates back almost exactly a year, as Allin attempted to prevent The Death Riders’ brutal attack of Bryan Danielson last October at WrestleDream.

Allin ended up paying the price for his intervention, as The Death Riders threw him down a stairwell in December, knocking him out of action for nearly seven months.

That decision came back to haunt Mox and The Death Riders, though, as Allin resurfaced at All In back in July, helping “Hangman” Adam Page beat Moxley for the AEW World Championship in the main event.

That set the stage for a showdown between Allin and Moxley last month at All Out, and they met in a coffin match, which has become something of a signature stipulation for Darby over the years.

Allin took the fight to Moxley and seemed to be trending toward victory, but Pac made a surprise return from injury by attacking Allin and helping Mox put him inside the coffin.

While Moxley came out on top, Allin got some retribution later in the night by emerging from the coffin and a body bag, putting Moxley inside of it and shooting him with a flamethrower.

At the conclusion of the Sept. 24 episode of Dynamite, Allin confronted Moxley with the flamethrower once again, and he challenged him to a match at WrestleDream in the process.

Allin vs. Moxley was made official for WrestleDream shortly thereafter with the added “I Quit” stipulation.

Given Allin’s penchant for absorbing punishment without giving up, it wasn’t particularly surprising that he showed his grit and finally got the better of Moxley at WrestleDream.

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WWE SmackDown Highlights:This episode of WWEâ€s SmackDown took place at the SAP Center in San Jose, California. This show was entirely based on the aftermath of the Premium Live Event, Crown Jewel. Crown Jewel was a huge success for WWE; it received many positive reviews from the fans and the critics as well. ESPN gave Crown Jewel a B, which was a huge improvement from WrestlePalooza, which received a grade of C.Â

After a successful Australian tour, this episode of SmackDown showcased many great matches and many shocking moments. On this show, we saw a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship Match and another United States Open Challenge from Sami Zayn. The main event for this weekâ€s SmackDown was already advertised, and it was Drew McIntyre facing Jacob Fatu in a one-on-one match, which was later changed on the show.

WWE SmackDown Highlights: General Manager Nick Aldis and Cody Rhodes start the show

This episode of WWEâ€s SmackDown was kicked off by the General Manager, Nick Aldis. During his promo, he stated that the upcoming match between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu will now be a number-one-contender’s match, and the winner of this match will be facing Cody Rhodes at the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event for the Undisputed WWE Championship. After that, Cody Rhodes came out, and he addressed his loss against Seth Rollins, stating it tore Rollins apart to beat him, but now that’s in his past, and he is fully focused on facing the winner of the upcoming number-one-contender’s match.

WWE SmackDown Highlights: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss vs Zaria and Sol Ruca

On this episode of SmackDown, we saw Charlotte Flair & Alexa Bliss defending their WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship against the team of Zaria and Sol Ruca. This match went on for 15+ minutes, and at the end of the match, Sol Ruca got distracted by Blake Monroe, who was sitting in the first row. Charlotte Flair took advantage and locked Ruca in her figure 8 lock and secured the victory for her team via submission.


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WWE SmackDown Highlights: Sami Zaynâ€s United States Championship Open Challenge

Sami Zayn delivered another U.S title open challenge. Initially, this challenge was answered by the Miz, but he was attacked by Carmelo Hayes. As a result, we saw another challenger come out, and it was a returning Mad Dragon, Ilja Dragunov. Dragunov has been out of the action for over a year due to a torn ACL. This match went on for 30+ minutes and was one of the best matches that WWE has produced in a very long time. During this match, we saw both wrestlers kicking out each other’s finishers multiple times, and the crowd kept chanting “This is Awesomeâ€.  At the end of the match, Sami Zayn was distracted by Solo Sikoa, which allowed Dragunov time to deliver his H-Bomb to Zayn. With that, Dragunov secured the win and became the New United States Champion.

After the match, as both Sami Zayn and Ilja Dragunov were standing face to face, they were attacked by MFT. After that, we saw Wyatt Sicks coming out and confronting the MFT. This segment will probably lead to WWEâ€s upcoming premium live event, Survivor Series, where both these teams will face each other in a War Games match.

WWE SmackDown Highlights: The Motor City Machine Guns vs Los Garza

On their first anniversary of debuting in the WWE, The Motor City Machine Guns faced Los Garza in a tag team match. This match went on for 15+ minutes, and at the end of the match, we saw Motor City Machine Guns delivering Skull and Bones to Angel, and with that, they secured the win in this tag team match via pinfall.

WWE SmackDown Highlights: Cody Rhodes vs Drew McIntyre

The main event for this episode of SmackDown was supposed to be Drew McIntyre vs Jacob Fatu, but before the match even started, it was revealed that Jacob Fatu had been brutally attacked backstage by a mysterious attacker. As a result, Drew McIntyre demanded that the referee announce him as the winner, as Fatu was not cleared to wrestle. After that, Cody Rhodes came out and delivered a passionate promo, stating that he is completely sure that McIntyre was the one who attacked Fatu backstage, and Rhodes challenged McIntyre to a WWE Undisputed Championship match.

This match went on for just 10+ minutes, and and the end of the match, Rhodes attacked McIntyre with his title belt, resulting in a disqualification. After the match, we saw a huge brawl between both these wrestlers, which was stopped by security guards separating Rhodes and McIntyre. This show went off the air with Rhodes jumping from the top rope and taking out McIntyre and all the security guards.

FAQs

Q. Who is the current WWE Crown Jewel Champion?

A. Seth Rollins became the new 2025 Crown Jewel Champion after defeating Cody Rhodes.

Q. Is Jacob Fatu actually injured?

A. Jacob Fatu is currently dealing with an undisclosed dental injury; as a result, he will be out of action for a couple of months.

Q. Is Triple H the head writer of SmackDown?

A. Although every idea is confirmed by Triple H, the current head writer of SmackDown is Road Dogg.

Q. Is AJ Styles retiring?

A. During the 2025 Crown Jewel pre-show, AJ Styles announced that he will be retiring from professional wrestling next year.

Q. Who is the current Womenâ€s Crown Jewel Champion?

A. Stephanie Vaquer is the current Womenâ€s Crown Jewel Champion.

Get the Latest WWE News at IceCric.News and Follow for Live Updates – Facebook &  Instagram.


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Darby Allin defeated Jon Moxley in an “I Quit” match at AEW WrestleDream on Saturday with some help from an old friend, Sting.

The match was simply brutal, with both wrestlers dishing out a ton of pain.

Moxley gained the advantage, thanks in part to the Death Riders.

However, Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis then went dark.

Sting emerged with his patented bat, choked Moxley and attacked the Death Riders. He then literally passed the bat to his old partner-in-crime, who used it to his advantage.

Allin eventually won with the Scorpion Deathlock, forcing Moxley to quit.

The rivalry between Moxley and Allin dates back almost exactly a year, as Allin attempted to prevent The Death Riders’ brutal attack of Bryan Danielson last October at WrestleDream.

Allin ended up paying the price for his intervention, as The Death Riders threw him down a stairwell in December, knocking him out of action for nearly seven months.

That decision came back to haunt Mox and The Death Riders, though, as Allin resurfaced at All In back in July, helping “Hangman” Adam Page beat Moxley for the AEW World Championship in the main event.

That set the stage for a showdown between Allin and Moxley last month at All Out, and they met in a coffin match, which has become something of a signature stipulation for Darby over the years.

Allin took the fight to Moxley and seemed to be trending toward victory, but Pac made a surprise return from injury by attacking Allin and helping Mox put him inside the coffin.

While Moxley came out on top, Allin got some retribution later in the night by emerging from the coffin and a body bag, putting Moxley inside of it and shooting him with a flamethrower.

At the conclusion of the Sept. 24 episode of Dynamite, Allin confronted Moxley with the flamethrower once again, and he challenged him to a match at WrestleDream in the process.

Allin vs. Moxley was made official for WrestleDream shortly thereafter with the added “I Quit” stipulation.

Given Allin’s penchant for absorbing punishment without giving up, it wasn’t particularly surprising that he showed his grit and finally got the better of Moxley at WrestleDream.

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Enzo Maresca has said Cole Palmer will miss another six weeks with a groin injury, raising doubts over whether the Chelsea forward will be able to regain his England place before the 2026 World Cup.

Palmer, who has been unavailable during the past two international breaks, has been struggling with his fitness since the start of the season and has not played since limping off against Manchester United last month. Chelsea have tried to manage the 23-year-oldâ€s groin injury with rest and are confident it does not need surgery but Maresca has dashed hopes of his most influential player making a swift return.

“Unfortunately he needs to be out for another six weeks,†Chelseaâ€s head coach said as he prepared for his sideâ€s trip to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. “We try to protect Cole as much as we can. The most important thing is when he comes back he is fully fit. The medical staff are not magicians. We hope six weeks are enough.â€

Cole Palmer will be sidelined for longer than initially expected. Photograph: John Walton/PAShare

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner revealed yesterday that club captain Marc Guehi will leave Selhurst Park at the end of the season. Guehi came close to joining Liverpool in a £35million transfer on deadline day before the deal collapsed at the last minute. He will now leave as a free agent next summer.

Glasner said: “I think Marc has already told us that he doesnâ€t sign a new contract, so he will leave next year. The club wanted [him to stay]. They offered Marc a new contract. But he said, ‘no, I want to make something differentâ€. And thatâ€s normal.

“And for us, itâ€s how we can deal with this situation? [What] is the best way to get this next step done? And thatâ€s all about how we are talking together.â€

Marc Guehi will leave Crystal Palace as a free agent at the end of the season. Photograph: Matt McNulty/Getty ImagesShare

Speaking of Nottingham Forest, Ben Fisher will be on hand at 11am this morning to answer any questions you may have about the club.

Be sure to email matchday.live@guardian.co.uk with your questions for the Q&A session or leave a comment below the line.

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Ange Postecoglouâ€s future at Nottingham Forest is on the line this afternoon. The 60-year-old is yet to win a match with Forest and is already at risk of being sacked – despite only arriving just over one month ago.

Postecoglou urged the clubâ€s owner, Evangelos Marinakis, to maintain faith in him during his press conference yesterday.

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Todayâ€s Premier League fixtures

  • Nottingham Forest v Chelsea (12:30pm BST)

  • Sunderland v Wolves

  • Burnley v Leeds United

  • Crystal Palace v Bournemouth

  • Brighton v Newcastle

  • Manchester City v Everton

  • Fulham v Arsenal (5:30pm BST)

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Preamble

Hello, good morning and welcome to another Matchday live! Premier League and EFL football is finally back after (what felt like) a long international break and business resumes as normal. Iâ€ll be bringing you all the latest updates until the early kick-off which sees Nottingham Forest take on Chelsea at the City Ground.

Weâ€ll also go over some of the top talking points from yesterdayâ€s press conferences – including a huge update on the future of Crystal Palace captain Marc Guéhi – and preview each of todayâ€s Premier League fixtures.

So, without further ado, letâ€s get cracking.

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Updated at 03.18 EDT

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Corey Graves has officially made his return to the WWE Friday Night SmackDown commentary desk. After a multi-week absence due to a storyline attack by Brock Lesnar, Graves was back in his familiar seat alongside Michael Cole on the October 17 broadcast from the Kia Center in Orlando.

His return was a quiet one, with no special segment or fanfare. Instead, he was simply seen back at his post during the opening segment of the show, which featured Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis. During his time away, WWE Hall of Famer Booker T had filled in on commentary, but the familiar voice of Graves is now back on the blue brand.

The storyline reason for Graves’s absence was a brutal assault at the hands of “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar on the September 13 episode of SmackDown. The attack was positioned as a final, violent statement from Lesnar as he headed into his clash with John Cena at the WrestlePalooza Premium Live Event.

The assault effectively wrote Graves off of television for several weeks, leaving fans to wonder when and how he would return. The quiet nature of his comeback suggests that the angle involving Lesnar is likely concluded, and the focus for Graves will be returning to his role as the lead color commentator for SmackDown.

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One of Brock Lesnar’s recent victims returned to WWE SmackDown after being away for a month.

The October 17 episode of WWE SmackDown kicked off from San Jose, California, with the Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes addressing the crowd. He made his first appearance since Crown Jewel, following his loss to Seth Rollins for the Crown Jewel Championship.

More importantly, a fan-favourite WWE superstar made their first official return nearly a month after the Beast Incarnate’s vicious attack.

WWE Star Returns After Brock Lesnar’s Vicious Attack

As the show kicked off, SmackDown’s General Manager Nick Aldis appeared inside the ring to address the 11,000 fans present in the SAP Center. He announced that the singles match between Drew McIntyre and Jacob Fatu later that night is now a #1 contender’s match for the Undisputed WWE Championship against Rhodes.

Following this, the camera turned towards the commentary desk with NXT’s Vic Joseph, along with the returning Corey Graves. Joseph announced his return, saying,

Joseph: Welcome at ringside, I’m vic Joseph, and someone who’s excited with Cody coming out, about to jump out of here soon, RETURNING COREY GRAVES.

Graves: I could not be any more excited to be right back here, in this saddle.

Joseph: Welcome back, I’m glad you’re in one piece.

Graves: Oh, as far as you know, reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated.

This marked the first TV appearance of Graves following the attack by Lesnar on the September 19 episode of WWE SmackDown.

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Our WWE SmackDown results for tonight include Sami Zaynâ€s United States Open Challenge, Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes returns to address his Crown Jewel defeat, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss defend the WWE Womenâ€s Tag Team Championship against NXTâ€s Zaria and the Womenâ€s Speed and NXT Womenâ€s North American Champion, Sol Ruca, and Drew McIntyre battles Jacob Fatu. Hereâ€s our review and grades for tonightâ€s show, live from the SAP Center in San Jose, California.

WWE SmackDown Card:

  • Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes Returns
  • WWE Womenâ€s Tag Team Championship Match: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Zaria and Sol Ruca
  • Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu

WWE SmackDown Results:

As the show kicks off, SmackDown GM Nick Aldis is in the ring. Aldis announces that the winner of the Drew McIntyre vs. Jacob Fatu match is now a number one contenderâ€s match. That match will be against this man. Aldis points to the stage, and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes‘ music hits.

The Champion Returns

The crowd sings for Rhodes as he stands in the ring and takes it all in. Rhodes notes that Seth Rollins beat him for the Crown Jewel Championship. After all of this, Rhodes doesnâ€t think he ever needs to be in the ring with Rollins ever again. Rhodes knows it doesnâ€t work like that, but Rollins has the Brons and an Oracle to deal with. While Rollins deals with that, Rhodes is going to handle his business. Will it be McIntyre or will it be Fatu? The battle at Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event runs through San Jose!

Grade: B

Solid and quick promo. Itâ€s always best when these things donâ€t run too long. Itâ€s interesting that we got so many reports today that the main event would be changed to Rhodes vs. McIntyre due to Fatu being injured. So far, it seems that was a crock of you know what. Letâ€s see how it plays out.

Backstage, Solo Sikoa has his MFTs beat up Rey Fenix.

NXTâ€s Blake Monroe is in the crowd to watch the next match.

WWE Womenâ€s Tag Team Championship Match: Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Zaria and Sol Ruca

This event is ongoing. This information will be updated as the event progresses.

Read More: Jacob Fatu Could Miss Extended Time Due To Injury

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By Ella Jay

Oct. 16, 2025 9:51 pm EST

Jay White is wearing a black hoodie

Etsuo Hara/Getty Images

While he remains absent from AEW television, “Switchblade” Jay White has also been silent on social media, especially X. The latter changed when White returned to his timeline with a new one-word post.

“Ready?” he wrote on Thursday afternoon, with over 600 comments coming in the hours following. Most of the replies expressed excitement for what White’s post could mean, whether that be a comeback to in-ring action or something else.

White’s last post on X came in July, when he replied to a fan calling for him to win a singles championship in AEW with a winking gif. Before that, he hadn’t been active on the platform since March.

White has also been sidelined from action since March 2025, when he last wrestled Kevin Knight on “AEW Collision.” Sometime after, White reportedly sustained a hand injury that would require surgery. Months later, reports indicated that White was also battling a shoulder injury, though it was unclear as to whether he’d undergo surgery for that as well.

Prior to hurting his hand, White was slated to compete in the 2025 Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. After a storyline attack at the hands of the Death Riders signaled White’s exit from television, however, Knight took his place and faced Will Ospreay in the opening round.Â

Under the AEW-ROH banner, Knight is a former AEW World Trios and ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champion. His tag partner Juice Robinson returned to the ring in July 2025 after being sidelined with an injury of his own.

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AJ Leeâ€s return has the potential to shake up WWEâ€s womenâ€s division by targeting established champions, forging nostalgic alliances, and igniting fresh rivalries. Whether aiming for Becky Lynchâ€s well-established Intercontinental title reign, challenging the reigning Womenâ€s World Champion, or reuniting with old allies, Lee can craft compelling storylines grounded in current facts and official records.

Let’s take a look at 5 things that Lee can do once she returns.

#5. Spark a Feud with ‘Daughter’ Roxanne Perez

On September 9, 2025, Roxanne Perez recreated a childhood photo with AJ Lee on social media, signaling mutual respect and nostalgia. Lee can confront Perez on RAW, acknowledging their history before questioning whether the former NXT Womenâ€s Champion truly matches up. This dynamic, Lee’s seasoned expertise against Perezâ€s emerging talent, can drive a technical showcase leading to a marquee pay-per-view match.

Such an angle spotlights Perezâ€s rapid ascent while reaffirming Lee’s legacy as a dominant force.

#4. A Reunion with Bayley

Lee and Bayley have been close friends since their early years, and the Role Model made appearances in AJ Lee’s merch following her return, even donning CM Punk’s ‘AJ’s Husband’ jacket. A backstage segment in which Lee surprises Bayley, reminding her of their friendship since NXT, can launch a short-term alliance. Whether they target dominant heel teams or engage in six-woman tag matches along with Lyra Valkyria, their proven chemistry offers both nostalgia and fresh narrative opportunities. This direction legitimizes Lee’s involvement and bolsters the tag division.

MORE: AJ Leeâ€s Next WWE Match Revealed

#3. Joins Forces with Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky

Rhea Ripley and IYO Sky both held the WWE Womenâ€s World Championship earlier in 2025, Ripley from January to March, and Sky from March to July 2025. More recently, they became partners against Sky’s family – the Kabuki Warriors, facing them at Crown Jewel Perth. Lee can interrupt their backstage strategy session, proposing an alliance under her leadership. By playing both confidante and challenger, she creates tension within the duo, setting up six-woman tag matches, or it could even lead to the next big premium live event, Survivor Series: WarGames.

#2. Challenges Becky Lynch for the Intercontinental Championship

Lee returned to WWE after a decade to teach Lynch a lesson, who has been riding high ever since becoming the Intercontinental Champion and aligning with her husband, Seth Rollins. She already beat the Man at Wrestlepalooza by tapping her out using the Black Widow submission move. If she can do it once, she can definitely do it again and win the Intercontinental Championship.

As of now, Lynch is not in any proper feud; she is currently having singles matches against Maxxine Dupri, and a proper challenger such as Lee could shake up her overconfidence, bringing her back to reality.

MORE: CM Punk Jumps Into The Arms Of Female WWE Star Amid AJ Leeâ€s Absence

#1. AJ Lee vs WWE Women’s Champion

If Lee decides that it is time for her to capture one of the two women’s championships, she could challenge the newly crowned Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer, or she could take on a more experienced wrestler in the form of Tiffany Stratton. It would depend on which brand she is drafted to, but as of now, nothing is confirmed. Vaquer was recently challenged by the Eradicator Ripley, and Stratton just put the Nia Jax-Jade Cargill feud behind her, so going after the WWE Women’s Championship could cement Lee as one of the most dominant champions of all time.

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