Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
CM Punk Recruiting AJ Lee For Comeback Match
It's been more than nine years since AJ Lee retired from in-ring competition, but her husband is working behind the scenes to bring her back to WWE for at least one more match.
In an interview with Al Castle of Pro Wrestling Illustrated (starts at 1:25:15 mark), NXT women's champion Roxanne Perez revealed CM Punk has been trying to get AJ to end her retirement.
"Definitely, yeah, I try (to talk to CM Punk about convincing A.J. Lee to return) but he tells me that he's doing the same thing. He's trying to get her to come back, he's pulling her in but, I hope one day she decides to come back and have a match with me," Perez said.
Since Punk's return to WWE in November, there have been questions about whether or not he could get AJ to join him. He's talked about it several times in interviews, most recently at the Money in the Bank press conference.
"She's got so many irons in so many fires," Punk said (h/t Sean Reuter of Cageside Seats). "I always say I'm a bad husband because I never know what project she's talking about. 'Oh I have a meeting', and I'm like, 'With who? Is it Netflix? Is it Hulu? Is it CBS?' I don't know. She's got so many irons in so many different fires. I will say as a fan of hers, would love to see (her back in the ring)."
AJ has shot down rumors of a potential in-ring return to WWE. She has stayed around wrestling in her post-retirement career, having worked as an executive producer for Women of Wrestling and a recurring role in the second season of the Starz drama Heels.
A three-time Divas champion, AJ retired in April 2015. She was one of the most popular women's wrestlers in WWE during her four-year run on the main roster.
There will certainly be a spot for AJ if she were to return. Perez has made no secret of the influence that AJ had on her growing up, so there's a ready-made opponent for her if she decides to do one more match.
Pat McAfee Coming to WWE 2K24
Pat McAfee has been a staple of the WWE announce team since returning to the company in January, so it's about time he was added to WWE 2K24.
The Raw color commentator will join the video game roster on July 31 in a DLC pack that includes other members of his podcast crew.
WWE Games posted a video on X showing McAfee's ring entrance in the game.
In addition to the former NFL punter, "The Pat McAfee Pack" will include AJ Hawk, Boston Conner, Darius Butler and Ty Schmitt as downloadable characters.
McAfee and his crew pushed back to some of the criticism people had about their inclusion in the game.
The pack was originally set to be released today, but WWE Games pushed it back by one week to include a usable football that can be used on opponents.
McAfee took a hiatus from WWE in September to focus on his duties as a commentator on ESPN's College Gameday during the fall. He made a surprise return in January at the Royal Rumble as a guest commentator and entrant in the men's Rumble match.
The two-time Pro Bowler has been a full-time commentator on Raw since January 29.
Delta Reportedly Set to Join NXT Roster
The already-crowded women's division in NXT is going to add an infusion of talent in the near-future with Australian standout Delta reportedly on her way to the United States soon.
Per Fightful Select's Corey Brennan (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), Delta will being working at the WWE Performance Center soon after she gets settled from moving to the U.S.
There is no confirmed start date for Delta, who signed with WWE after having a tryout in February, but the expectation is she will begin on NXT. The powerhouse has drawn some comparisons to Rhea Ripley, who recently spoke about wanting to work with her.
Delta is the latest high-profile women's star to join WWE. Stephanie Vaquer made her debut during the company's recent tour in Mexico, defeating Isla Dawn in house shows on July 13 and 14.
Former Stardom champion Giulia has been teasing an appearance during WWE's tour in Japan this weekend, though it's unclear if she has signed with the company yet.
Delta has wrestled for various promotions throughout her career. Her most recent match listed on Pro Fight DB was against Jordynne Grace for the TNA knockouts championship on April 12 for Oceania Pro Wrestling. Grace, who has made multiple appearances in WWE and NXT, defeated Delta to retain her title.
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