While AJ Lee made her first WrestleMania appearance a year ago -- accompanying Daniel Bryan for what turned out to be an infamous 18-second match -- she returns at WrestleMania 29 this Sunday with a very different status within the company. In the past year, AJ's star has risen in a huge way, and she's been at the center of an incredible amount of major storylines in WWE, involving the likes of Bryan, Kane, CM Punk and John Cena. These days though, she's firmly in the heel world, aligned with Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston, and will be in their corner as they face Team Hell No (Bryan and Kane) at 'Mania.
I sat down with AJ to talk about WrestleMania 29, her current WWE companions, her friend turned in-ring competitor Kaitlyn and more, including her love of comic books.
IGN TV: I was at WrestleMania last year, and I feel like things were already on the rise for you, but I think that that was the starting point for so much that followed. What’s it like for you to be back at WrestleMania a year later with so much having changed?
AJ Lee: It’s insane. Like you were saying, last year, honestly, everything that had happened to that point was kind of the be-all, end-all for me. I was like, “This is so amazing. This wasn’t supposed to happen.” Everything kind of happened by accident. I was so appreciative. I was like, “Cool, it’s ending at Mania. What a cool way to go out! I’ll go back to Superstars and have fun.” And Superstars was fun anyway -- I’d do it right now. But I’m always mentally prepared for everything to end, and I was then. I was like, “Wow, this is so amazing. I’m so happy I got this opportunity.” Then another door opened, and then it closed. I thought, “Wow, that was awesome! All right, let’s see what happens.” And it just keeps going, and that’s probably the coolest thing for me, and I think that if at any second everything were to end, I would be so happy because I’d done pretty much everything I came to do, and then some. I feel super complete. I’m really lucky to be a year and a half into my official career and to feel complete, like I’ve done everything that I need to, so now everything’s kind of gravy. I’m just fighting for longevity, I guess.
IGN: You and Dolph have been a really enjoyable pairing.
AJ: Oh my gosh, yes!
IGN: Have you two had a lot of fun out there together - and throwing Big E into the mix?
AJ: Yeah! The funny thing is, never say never, because you never know where everything’s gonna take you. Maybe a year ago or something, he and I had a very love/hate relationship where we were just douchebags to each other, and we didn’t really get along. Then to somehow have our paths meet now, and we’re kind of grossly all over each other all the time, I think is so funny. If you would have bet me money, I would have been like, “Ugh, gosh, that guy is such a douche.” Now I see what an amazing person he is and how hard of a worker he is. It’s so cool to finally be on the same page with someone. Everyone’s awesome that I’ve worked with before, but what we’ve done and the product we’ve put out there has been very much one-sided with my affection. That’s fun and I think that’s really cool, but it’s a lot more fun to have somebody that wants you there. It’s a collaborative effort, and I feel less like a student and more like a partner. That is the coolest thing ever, and I love our little family -- me, Ziggy and our adopted son, Big E.
IGN: [Laughs] You and Big E have an amazing Twitter relationship.
AJ: [Laughs] I enjoy that so much. He’s such a funny person, and you wouldn’t know that. I just like to friend zone him every day of his life and call him my big sister. We’re so mean to each other, and that’s how you know I am your friend, that I can just be a douche to you. Also, my favorite word is “douche.” I think I’ve said it about ten times.
IGN: By the way, I loved the picture you posted of you reading Mad Love and Dolph in the background texting.
AJ: That was an accidental internet phenomenon. It was so funny how many people it reached. My only window into the internet is Twitter, because I am afraid of the internet. I need my mom to hold my hand if I’m going to read anything about me. I’ll just cry. I’m not the kind of person that wants to know what people think about me. So that, for some reason, so many people I didn’t know were tweeting me about it, and I was like, “Oh!” It was just me kind of playing around like, “Oh, you know, let’s capture this moment.” And I think it kind of explained our relationship just so perfectly, where we are complete polar opposites; I’m the proud geek and he is just Mr. Cool with his Britney Spears t-shirt, but he deals with that, you know? We still are together. He can hang out with me while I’m doing that. He doesn’t enjoy it, but he’s accepting of it. That’s kind of our dynamic, and I love that.
IGN: You and Kaitlyn have had a long friendship. Has it been fun for you with how things have gone with the two of you lately?
AJ: Oh my God, there’s nothing like punching your friend in the face! You can’t punch anyone else in the face as hard as you can your best friend. But it’s been insane, because two or three years ago I had Kaitlyn’s tryout -- I’m kind of like the tryout girl. There have been a lot of people who have come in and gotten signed and I like to believe I helped and that I was the gateway. So she’s kind of my proudest project. I feel like her momma. I’m momma Diva for her. I helped her learn how to bump. Her first steps were with me, and her first match was with me, and her tryout was with me. Then to go through NXT together, we needed each other. It was like war. You need your buddy to get through that. We helped each other develop our on-screen characters and be comfortable with just being idiots. If you can do a robot handshake on camera, you can do anything. You just kind of have to have that ballsiness. We wouldn’t have done that without each other. So I started to get to do stuff, and that was amazing. She was so happy for me, and we did a little bit of stuff, some tag-team, before that. Then it was kind of bittersweet not to have her along for the ride. So when she got to do all that with Eve and get the title, it was so gratifying to see where we were and what scrubs we were before. “Look at us now!” You could not have two girls that are less of the Diva mold. We’re just dudes, and we joke like dudes. It’s so funny that now we’re the girls. That’s weird. [Laughs] But I can’t wait to beat her up, you know? One of these days!
IGN: You recently had a match against Kaitlyn. Might we see you back in the ring a little bit more going forward?
AJ: Gosh, I don’t know. I really love managing. When I was younger, I thought it would be so cool to be in this super badass group, and just kind of be the chick on the sidelines. And I appreciate that, and I think there’s a lot of value in that. I love that I get to get in the ring every now and then. I could not have a better mix of things for me. If I could get in the ring with anyone, it would be her. I’m dying for that. I think we could tear the roof off the place and just beat the crap out of each other. We have so much unfinished business, and there’s not a lot of females that have that kind of storytelling behind them. The story sort of writes itself, and I think people have figured that out and are kind of waiting for it, so that’s cool. Maybe we can keep them waiting; it’s all right.
IGN: So WrestleMania, obviously, you will be in the corner there for the big match Dolph and Big E are in. Are you pretty excited for it?
AJ: Oh my God, I’m so excited! If it lasts longer than 18 seconds, I’ll be really happy.
IGN: Just 19 seconds, right?
AJ: Even if it’s 19! Maybe we can hit 20. But yeah, the funny thing was walking down in Miami and trying to take everything in, and I couldn’t even before it was all over. I was like, “Oh, I have to go back? Can I stay out here? Can Daniel Bryan be a little angrier, longer?” It was the coolest thing ever, but it was also like this hilarious joke on me. I’ve waited over a decade, and it’s like, “It’s here, and it’s gone!” So hopefully it lasts longer than 18 seconds. And it’s in New Jersey, and it feels like home -- because it is my home. So it’s going to be amazing no matter what, even if it’s 17 seconds. [Laughs]
IGN: The interesting thing is you have a storyline history with everyone in that match.
AJ: That’s the really funny part. To have had 75 percent of the match, I’ve had my mouth on their mouth. That’s a little weird to think about. [Laughs] But not Big E, because he’s in the permanent friend zone.
IGN: Poor guy!
AJ: They actually did a funny quote on my WWE.com diary that was like, “He’s currently taking up every inch of the friend zone,” something like that. It was so good! It’s just fun to be mean to him.
But yeah, that’s weird. I think that’s the only match that has that element - that personal, kind of Jerry Springer element. This is so personal, this match, and I can kind of give a dirty look to everybody. Then we have the X factor of it being E’s first official match, and then the X factor of me. You never know who I’m gonna want to bytch slap that day. So it’s really cool. I think we have more interesting elements than any match on the card, personally. I think we’re gonna steal the show.
IGN: I have to ask you a very important question, which is what comic books are you currently reading?
AJ: I actually have Grant Morrison’s The Clown at Midnight. I have that in my hotel room. It’s so weird, kind of abstract and interesting and very different. I just started that, and I think I’m gonna like it. It looks cool. At first I was like, “Oh, that’s interesting.” I’m getting onboard with that now.
IGN: Have you read the new Hawkeye comic?
AJ: I have not.
IGN: It’s really good. It’s this comic about what Hawkeye’s doing when he’s not in his superhero costume, when he’s just living in this apartment building, having kind of off the grid adventures.
AJ: Really!?
IGN: Matt Fraction writes it, and it’s got this weird, cool, offbeat vibe. I highly recommend that one.
AJ: Very cool! That, and I’m going back and forth with Suicide Squad. I’m still not sure how I feel about it, but anything with Harley Quinn, I’ll kind of jump in, even if it’s a different version of her.
IGN: I assume you’re going to be all over Injustice: Gods Among Us?
AJ:Yes! Oh my God, so many people have sent me links to the advertisement of Harley on YouTube, and I just die. I’m so excited for that.
IGN: How much crap did you give Michael Cole for not seeming to know your Black Widow reference on Smackdown a couple of weeks ago -- because that movie made a billion and a half dollars!
AJ: Yeah, I just talked with someone about that! He’s like, “Oh, yeah. You nerds would know what that is.” It’s like, “Okay, well, remember when it was the number one movie for so long?” And I’m pretty sure everyone knows about Scarlett Johansson. So that was hilarious. Any time I can namedrop for Marvel, I appreciate that. I tweeted that picture of me and Mad Love, and Marvel was like, “Traitor!” I felt really bad, but I love them both and I want everyone to get along!
IGN: I’ve seen your photos from visiting Marvel, which looked like an awesome time.
AJ: Everyone in that office is so amazing and so welcoming. They gave me these gifts that to this day I have. They actually gave me a Black Widow, so I have that added to my collection. I have this Marvel coffee mug, and that’s my official mug that they gave me. I drink out of it every morning.
never seen such a combination of quirkiness, smarts, and good looks if she ever gets locked up the dude will be
