AJ Lee opens up about major adjustment since WWE return.
During an interview with Rick Ucchino of The Takedown on SI, RAW Superstar AJ Lee discussed how she has adapted to wrestling significantly longer matches since returning to WWE.
AJ admitted that adjusting to longer match times has been a major change, but she feels better prepared than ever after prioritizing her mental and physical health over the past decade. She noted that her matches in the past rarely exceeded 12 minutes, while her recent bouts have gone well beyond 20 minutes, marking a clear shift in endurance and pacing.
“Yeah, I mean, that has been an adjustment as an athlete,” AJ said. “Thankfully, I’m in the best shape of my life, and part of that is because I’ve spent the past 10 years taking care of my mental health and finding the right balance to be a strong, healthy person in real life. Being able to bring that into wrestling, I feel like I’ve come back as the best version of myself as an athlete.
“So that has definitely helped, but it is very different to go from — I think my longest match back in the day was maybe 12 minutes — and then now I’ve had two singles matches where one was around 22 minutes, and the other was 15 or 17 minutes. I don’t even remember exactly how long it went, but it definitely felt like such an adjustment. I was like, ‘We’re still out here? What is happening?’”
AJ Lee has embraced the challenge of wrestling longer matches
Despite the challenge, AJ Lee has embraced the opportunity, especially with consistent crowd engagement throughout her matches. She added that longer matches were something she had long advocated for, and now she feels a responsibility to deliver at a high level.
“And the crowd is with it every second. That’s been a really cool challenge, seeing how far I can push myself. But also, that’s what we were asking for. Part of me is like, I asked for this for so long, I fought for this — so I better deliver.”
AJ also noted that the “sweet spot” for match length ultimately comes down to telling the best possible story while keeping the audience engaged from start to finish.
AJ Lee is set to defend her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch at WWE WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18. WrestleZone will provide live coverage of the premium live event across both nights.
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