WWE announced via Twitter last week that professional wrestler AJ Lee, born April Mendez, was retiring from the ring. Neither WWE nor AJ Lee have announced exactly why she was leaving the wrestling show but a report from WrestleZone indicates it might have been due to the ongoing lawsuit against Lee's husband, wrestler CM Punk.
CM Punk, who retired from the WWE back in 2014, is still facing a lawsuit filed by WWE doctor Chris Amann. According to CM Punk, the doctor misdiagnosed the wrestler and administered the wrong medication, an accusation the doctor denies. Vince McMahaon, general manager of the WWE, later fired CM Punk on his wedding day with AJ Lee.
The site also indicates that her retirement might also be a play in order to cut her contract with WWE early. Lee is still contracted under WWE and is legally obligated to appear whenever called for. WWE also retains licenses for her image as a wrestler for the company. Thus it has been speculated that AJ Lee is staging her retirement to quit WWE completely, with no legal obligations tying her down.
Bleach Report analyzes these two speculations and conclude that AJ Lee's retirement was inevitable. She needed to quit the company that was filing charges against her husband.
IGN followed up this report by revealing AJ Lee's newest Twitter post revealing her next plan outside of the world of wrestling. According to Lee's tweet, she is working on a book that is geared towards female empowerment. In the post she also thanked Leshne Agency, the firm that is working on publishing of Lee's written work.
Lee's statements read, "I hope our book inspires girls to become strong women & underdogs to make their dreams a reality."
AJ Lee was officially trained by professional wrestler Jay Lethal. She made her professional debut in 2007, under the ring name Miss April, and officially signed on to the WWE in 2009. During her tenure in WWE, she held the WWE Divas Championship three times and was the reigning champion for the longest time in the title's history.
