Get To know: AJ Lee
So today were taking a look at the longest reigning, now three time WWE divas champion AJ Lee. Let me first get it out there I'm a huge AJ Lee fan, I have been since her arrival in NXT several year's back. I love everything about her, literally everything. She's absolutely stunning, she's different to 98% of the divas the roster, she's a strong talker and has some great mic skills, she has an impressive move set and a genuine passion for wrestling. It's so rare now day's that we get a female pro wrestler who actually wanted to be a wrestler and was a fan of wrestling growing up and has a genuine love and passion for the business. Over the year's AJ has more than proved that she is a true fan and lover of professional wrestling I really do admire her for that. She play's her current gimmick so well and convincing and has skills that a lot female's in the WWE couldn't even begin to dream about having. She has a connection with the fans that no other diva has for the clear obvious reasons. And something I truly do love about her is she's not here for the fame or the money or to be a sex symbol, she's not in the WWE to dress up and go to a fancy red carpet event, she's there to wrestle and inspire and be a strong good role model for women all around the world and for women who want to get into the business. However I don't like how babied she's been by the WWE. Since she arrived the WWE have loved her and they have made that known. She's been put in storyline's with main event stars such as John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Kane. She's been the centre of attention since her day's with Daniel Bryan and don't get me wrong I'm happy she's getting the TV and wrestling time she deserves but there are plenty of other divas who deserve to be at the top just as much if not more than her, but that's a complete separate post I will get into another time. Let me know if you would like to see a "Is AJ Lee really the face of the divas division" post or somewhere along that line. Anyway let's get behind the Crazy chick and have a look at the real AJ Lee and her journey to the top of the divas division in the WWE.
Before Wrestling
April Jeanette Mendez was born on March 19 1987, making her twenty seven years old, in Union City New Jersey. Mendez is from a Puerto Rican heritage. She has described her family's experience growing up as a having to live in motel's, other peoples houses and their car. April got her passion for wrestling through her brothers childhood interest in WWE and it's that that influenced her decision to break into a male dominated world of professional wrestling and she cemented her ambition to pursue a pro wrestling career when she was 12. Growing up April looked up and took influence from other female wrestlers especially Lita who should met at an autograph signing, there's a video on YouTube of the meeting with a young April in tears. After graduating from Memorial High School, Mendez worked several jobs to help support her family and get the money she needed to enrol to a wrestling school.She attended New York University's Tisch School of Arts in New York, where she majored in film and television production and writing, how when family finance issues accrued she was led to drop out six months into her studies. In honour of her brother who was in the US Army she once wore camouflage wrestling gear. Mendez was trained by Jay Lethal. She is now married to former WWE superstar CM Punk.
The beginning...
After dropping out of University April researched wrestling schools and enrolled in a mile away from her house training school. She worked full time to pay her fee's and started training in March 2007 with Jay Lethal. She debuted on September 29,2007 under the ring name "Miss April",wrestling on her New Jersey independent circuit.
In October 2008 Miss April joined the New Jersey based promotion Women Superstars Uncensored (WSU) loosing her debut match against Jana. She would go on to form a tag team with Brooke Carter after unsuccessfully competing alongside Malia Hosaka in a tournament to determine the inaugural WSU Tag team champions. On February 7,2009 April an Brook captured the tag team championships after defeating The Beatdown Betties. On April 11, Miss April and Jay Lethal won the 2009 WSU/NWS King and Queen of the ring tournament, defeating Jana and Danny Demanto in the final. In May Miss April left WSU after signing a contract with WWE.
World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE)...
Florida Championship Wrestling
On May 5, 2009 Mendez signed a contract with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) after taking part in a tryout camp that she paid $1,500 to attend and was signed to Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) witch was WWE's developmental centre before changing to NXT last year or so. April debuted at the television taping on August 13, under the ring name April Lee in a fatal four way. In September her name was was changed to AJ Lee. She began competing for the Queen of FCW title, and at the February 4, 20102 Television taping she defeated Serena to win the crown. AJ then competed in a tournament to determine the inaugural FCW Divas Championship,defeating Tamina in the first round, before being eliminated by Serena in the semi finales on June 6. She later challenged Naomi Knight for a shot at her championship but was unsuccessful on July 4.The following week, AJ and Serena interrupted Naomi during an interview and AJ would watch as Serena attacked Naomi turning her into a heel. Naomi kept her championship after a triple threat match with Serena and AJ. Their feud ended when AJ was defeated by Naomi. In mid November AJ dropped her Queen of FCW title to Rosa Mendes. At the next tapeings in December AJ defeated Naomi to become the FCW divas champion making her the first diva to hold both titles. She held the championship until the tapeings on April 7, 2011, where she lost it to Aksana.NXT Career and Main Roster
On August 31, 2010, AJ was announced as a participant in Season 3 of NXT with Primo being her WWE pro. She began portraying the fan favourite role September 7 season premier, with WWE adapting her real life love for comic books and video games to her character. She one two matches and three challenges in the first five weeks,tying her with Kaitlyn in immunity points.After surviving elimination she won two challenges over the next four week.The following two week AJ picked up wins over Nikki Bella and Aksana in singles matches and won two challenges. After wining a one on one match Naomi, AJ was eliminated placing her third.She returned on November 20 season finale where she was successful teaming with the Bella twins to face Alicia Fox, Aksana and Maxine, she also celebrated with friend Kaitlyn who won the competition. AJ made her WWE main roster debut on Smackdown in 2011 where she teamed with Kaitlyn in tag team action as part of a storyline with Natalya as their mentor facing Alicia fox and Tamina. Her first win came in a singles match were she pinned Tamina. Natalya,AJ and Kaitlyn would go on to feud with Rosa Mendes, Fox and Tamina throughout mid 2011. Kaitlyn and AJ would go it alone after Natalya turn on them. Tension would soon arise between the two when Kaitlyn got annoyed with their continues loses.
Also in 2011 AJ began a romantic storyline with Daniel Bryan. After she costed him he's World Heavyweight championship at Wrestlemania 28 against Sheamus the relationship ended. She would go one to turn her affection towards Bryan's rival CM Punk as well as fellow WWE title contender Kane. Bryan would later propose to AJ for a second time and this time she said yes.During their vow exchange at RAW 1000 AJ announced she had been offered the job as RAW general manager and left Bryan at the alter. She stepped down from General manager due tot he stress and allegations that
she was having an affair with a wrestler on the rooster, that wrester being John Cena. At the TLC PPV she AJ turned heel after pushing the ladder, stopping Cena from wining the money in the bank brief case from Ziggler. She would then be apart of a faction with Big E and the Money in the bank winner Dolph Ziggler. Kaitlyn and AJ would feud in 2013, in witch was one of the biggest most entraining and intresting divas feud in a very very long time. The two had some amazing matches that you should really go check out if you aint seen already. At the payback PPV AJ became the divas champion defeating Kaitlyn in one of the best divas matches in recent years, on the same night she cost Ziggler he's championship and Ziggler would then end the relationship. AJ went on to feud with the divas from the hit show total divas and faced the whole divas roster at this year's Wrestlemania, known as AJ Lee VS the world. She became the longest reining Divas champion after breaking Maryse's previous record. The night after Wrestlemania she lost the title to a debuting Paige and after was out of action for several months. On her return on RAW she recaptured the divas championship however lost it again at Summer Slam. This past Sunday at Night of champions she defeated Nikki Bella and Paige in a triple threat match to become a three time divas champion.
So far AJ has accomplished so much in her career, being a part of major main event storyline's, some of the best divas matches in WWE, being a RAW general manager, becoming the longest reining divas champion history and holding the title three times. She's an all round diva and amazing female wrestler. She has it all, the mic skills, the wrestling ability, the passion, the character and everything else that comes with being the best of the best. She has made a big impact in the WWE and I really do believe she has changed the divas division for the better and has changed a lot of people's minds on female pro wrestling. I personally am a HUGE AJ Lee fan and think there is so much more left to see from her. Her current feud with Paige is just starting to pick up and live up to the expectations of fans. Their feud is one of the most anticipated divas feuds in history and I honestly think these two are yet to really wow us and could have one of the best divas matches ever in the WWE. But what do you think? Let me know by leaving a comment bellow or tweeting me at @TezangiVictoria.Get to know Tyler Breeze:
http://talkwrestlingworld.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/get-to-know-tyler-breeze.html
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