WWE announced on Friday that Diva A.J. Lee, real name April Mendez, has decided to retire from the organization.
BREAKING: AJ Lee (April Mendez) has decided to retire from in-ring competition with WWE. We wish AJ the very best.
— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2015
The news of the three-time Divas championship winner retiring should not come as a big surprise.
Lee married CM Punk last year and continued to wrestle for the organization for nearly a year despite her husband’s problems with the company. Punk infamously slammed WWE in a podcast interview in November for their treatment of him and their wrestlers.
Back in February, Lee spoke out against WWE after responding to a Stephanie McMahon tweet encouraging women to voice their opinions:
@StephMcMahon Your female wrestlers have record selling merchandise & have starred in the highest rated segment of the show several times,
— A.J. (@WWEAJLee) February 25, 2015
@StephMcMahon And yet they receive a fraction of the wages & screen time of the majority of the male roster. #UseYourVoice
— A.J. (@WWEAJLee) February 25, 2015
The McMahons may have been taken aback by Lee’s outspokenness and responded:
Thank you @WWEAJLee, I appreciate your opinion. #UseYourVoice
— Stephanie McMahon (@StephMcMahon) February 25, 2015
We hear you. Keep watching. #GiveDivasAChance
— Vince McMahon (@VinceMcMahon) February 25, 2015
Regardless of the tension that may have existed between the two parties, it appears that Lee is leaving the company on positive terms. They would only say, “We wish AJ the very best,” if it is a mutual parting of ways.
