Prior to moving to the main roster, AJ Lee competed in Florida Championship Wrestling. There, she was very popular and earned herself a reputation as a plucky underdog. Her never-say-die attitude and her ability to absorb tremendous punishment, only to fight back and win matches, led her to become the Queen of FCW. After successfully retaining it for months, she ran into Rosa Mendes, who ended her string of victories and claimed the crown for herself. At a time when she was wasting away with little to do, making town after town but being given nothing to do at any of the shows on which she was booked, it was wise to use Rosa Mendes in a scenario in which she could star without having the pressure of live television on her at all times. At the November 25 episode of FCW, Mendes defeated AJ to become the Queen of FCW. It was a huge win that again cemented Rosa as the top dog in FCW and really continued her development as an in-ring worker. Something she was in desperate need on.