Top WWE Diva AJ Lee Has High Praise For Newcomer Paige
WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee opens up about her real life friendship with her on camera opponent on Turnbuckle Weekly with Chuck Carroll.
WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee has a lot of praise for the woman she'll face Sunday at the Hell In A Cell pay-per-view.
And that was a little surprising to me given Paige had shocked the WWE Universe by snapping AJ's 295-day title run to earn gold in her debut match the night after WrestleMania.
During the course of our conversation, AJ told me the British-born 22-year-old came along at the perfect time and they've forged a friendship outside of the ring. After talking crap for about a year, she said she had just defeated every Diva on the roster a night earlier in the inaugural Vickie Guerrero Battle Royal. So, new blood was definitely needed.
"We needed something to give the division a kick in the butt and Paige is perfect for that," she said.
AJ added that the other women in the locker room acknowledge that, which likely limited any animosity veterans may have had with a rookie coming in and winning the title.
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At one point during their program WWE's writers flirted with the idea of having the two flirt with each other in the ring. The (adult) tension was apparent on at least two occasions during broadcasts of Monday Night Raw, which she said was a blast.
"You didn't know what we were going to do for a while. I think that made it," she told me. "Whether we were out there for 30 seconds, it was 'What are they going to do? Oh, they're sharing chocolate candy. This is awkward!' There was something about that just made it special. It's was just two wonderful weirdos, we have no idea what to expect from."
And although her adversary will be joining the cast of Total Divas next season, don't expect to see AJ on the show anytime soon.
"It's been well documented for the second season they tried to get me on board. I'm not interested in being famous. I'm interested in doing my job and doing it well and that's wrestling and that's what I love," she said.
AJ also told me there's nothing wrong with the show and she's happy that Paige will add another flavor of Diva to the show.
"I could do it, but I wouldn't do it. I'm just happy being who I am on TV two days a week and on live events and then going into my private life, and into my little hole in the middle of nowhere and having no one talk to me about my private life."
Be sure to listen to the full interview (available at the top of the page) to hear all of our conversation that includes:
- Whether she knew she would win the Divas Title when she came back to WWE
- More on her in-ring chemistry with Paige
- More on her relationship with Paige
- More on why she just said no to Total Divas
- Debunking rumors about Total Divas cast members not getting title shots
- Who she wants to be in the WWE Hall of Fame
- Whether she considers herself Hall of Fame worthy
And because reading is fundamental, here are a few quotes.
On whether she knew she would win Diva's Title after taking two months off from WWE
I don't really know. I certainly didn't know. That was a pleasant surprise. That's the thing, every time I've put the title on the line against Paige she's won it. So, I'm slightly nervous going into Sunday.
On bitter feelings from veterans after Paige won Divas Title in her first match
I think at that point in time it was exactly what we needed. Especially coming off of (WrestleMania XXX) where we had every single girl in the match. For a year I was talking crap and then I beat everyone. We needed new blood. We needed something to give the division a kick in the butt and Paige was perfect for that. I don't think there was any other way it should have gone. I think everyone is kind of smart and they know that. If we have more interest and more of us can do well, then we all do well because of that. I hope everyone gets it. It was a smart move.
On teasing a same-sex crush between she and Paige
Well, we are a PG program. But I think that's the fun part. The thing is everyone said my character is unpredictable and you didn't know where it was going. And then to have somebody that does the same thing, that's also kind of kooky and crazy and you didn't know what we were going to do for a while.
The full interview can be heard at the top of the page. Naturally, it's must-listen material.
Check out 10 Things You Didn’t Know About WWE Divas Champion AJ Lee.
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Chuck Carroll is former pro wrestling announcer and referee turned sports media personality. He once appeared on Monday Night RAW when he presented Robert Griffin III with a WWE title belt in the Redskins locker room.
Follow him on Twitter @TheChuckCarroll.