AJ Lee is once again a champion in WWE in 2026.
At the Elimination Chamber event in Chicago, Lee defeated Becky Lynch to become the new WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion and the fourth woman to hold this belt. She ends Lynch’s second reign at 55 days. The last time Lee held gold was the WWE Divas Championship over a decade ago in 2014. She retired in 2015 and came out of retirement in 2025.
The match was filled with underhanded tactics from Lynch as she tried to hold onto her title. At one point, Lynch removed the turnbuckle pad and later knocked down the referee, Jessicka Carr. With the official incapacitated, Lee managed to force Lynch to submit, but Carr didn’t witness it.
Lynch then escalated the chaos by introducing a steel chair into the match and using it to her advantage against Lee. Despite the shenanigans, Lee endured. The tide ultimately turned when Lynch was sent face-first into the exposed turnbuckle. Capitalizing on the moment, Lee locked in another Black Widow, this time securing the tap-out victory.