Backstage Talk On AJ Lee Leaving WWE Following Raw Shoot Promo

There is backstage talk within WWE that AJ Lee could be leaving the company after Sunday's TLC, reports PWinsider. Speculation on her future was sent into overdrive during Monday Night Raw's Slammy Awards. AJ won Diva Of The Year and proceeded to cut a shoot promo that seemed to indicate she wouldn't be with the company next year-

"Three years ago I promised all of you I would redefine the term diva, and I am very proud to say I sure have done that. So I hope that means that next year this award is won by Bailey or Sasha, or Charlotte or Emma, or Paige. Any of those girls can be next in line for the throne, but I'm not done being queen."

Obviously she ended it by saying "I'm not done", so maybe she isn't due to leave imminently, or maybe that line was just to sell this weekend's title match with Nikki Bella. The way she talked about next year being won by someone else is a big clue that she could be leaving. Her husband Phil 'CM Punk' Brooks is now a UFC fighter and could be required to base himself in a new area. AJ is a loner in the WWE locker room and perhaps wants to spend more time with her busy husband. What was really interesting about AJ's promo is the names she mentions. It is a mixture of NXT girls with Emma and Paige from the main roster. This sounded like AJ basically rhyming off the few 'proper wrestlers' in the diva division, essentially saying that she hopes real wrestlers are recognised above the model type divas. Notice how Natalya wasn't on her list, despite being one of the most talented grapplers. That could mean that there's some heat between Nattie and AJ, maybe over the way Natalya has sided with the more superficial WWE girls on Total Divas. One of the names mentioned in AJ's promo was Charlotte. The daughter of Ric Flair is indeed an accomplished athlete and wrestled Natalya on Raw this week. She's a brilliant pro wrestler and would definitely be a worthy heiress to AJ's crown as number one diva.