April Jeanette "AJ" Brooks (born Mendez; March 19, 1987) is an American retired professional wrestler, best known for her work in WWE under the ring name AJ Lee. She rose from WWE's developmental program into a prominent role on the main roster and became a multi-time titleholder before leaving in 2015.
Early WWE career and NXT
AJ first reached a wider audience as a competitor on the third season of the reality-style program NXT. Although she did not win that season—placing fourth overall—WWE signed her to a contract and moved her to television on the main roster.
Main roster debut
Her televised debut came on the May 27, 2011 episode of SmackDown, when she teamed with Kaitlyn in a tag match that ended in defeat to the team of Alicia Fox and Tamina. From that point she was featured regularly in the Divas division and developed a distinctive on-screen persona.
Divas Championship runs
AJ Lee won the WWE Divas Championship on multiple occasions, collecting the title three times during her career. Among her notable moments, she successfully defended the championship at WrestleMania XXX. The following night on Raw she lost the title to the debuting Paige (Paige), but a few months later she regained the championship and continued to be a central figure in the division.
Retirement
On April 3, 2015, AJ publicly announced that she would retire from in-ring competition and depart WWE.
Selected highlights
- Competed on season three of NXT, finishing fourth.
- Main roster debut: May 27, 2011 SmackDown tag match versus Alicia Fox & Tamina.
- Three-time WWE Divas Champion; defended the title at WrestleMania XXX.
- Lost the championship the night after WrestleMania on Raw to Paige, later regained the title.