AJ Lee reveals WWE contract matches CM Punk's pay

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One of the main focuses of WWE UnReal’s third season on Netflix, all six episodes of which dropped on the streamer today (July 21), is AJ Lee’s return to WWE. Retired for 10 years, the wrestler who signaled the beginning of the end of the Divas Era came back last year. Lee let her husband test the place out again for a couple years first, but with WWE and CM Punk’s reunion going so well, AJ decided to join him. It must have helped that WWE apparently offered her a contract that was commensurate to Punk’s. Lee (real name April Mendez) doesn’t offer details, but we figure that must be on a per-appearance basis and not the total value of the deal, seeing as Punk works much more often than AJ. Still, that’s a big deal. On UnReal, she talked about how big… “One of the things I fought for back in the day wasn’t just for equal footing. It was, ‘Let’s get paid the way the men get paid.’ To know I’m signing this contract where I am getting paid the way my husband’s getting paid, where I’m being treated like an equal? “It was a boss-ass moment, I’m not going to lie.” pic.twitter.com/3X9hZiiOA7 — ♡ (@AlldivasAj) July 21, 2026 Lee represented WWE at Fanatics Fest this past weekend in New York, but has otherwise been away from the company since her program with Becky Lynch ended at WrestleMania 42 in April. Thoughts on AJ achieving pay equity with her husband? Or WWE’s decision to pay her the same as Punk? Are any other couples getting the same treatment?

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AJ Lee famously stood up against Stephanie McMahon about women's pay and equity. On WWE Unreal, she revealed that she makes a similar amount to CM Punk.