On Friday, April 3, AJ Lee announced her retirement from in-ring competition in WWE to the surprise of many. Due to the shaky relationship between her husband CM Punk and WWE at the moment, it was not a matter of if she'd call it quits but when, though no one expected her to take off so soon following her involvement at WrestleMania 31. Being one of the most prominent players to grace the Divas division in years, AJ's absence will undoubtedly be felt. How they'll recover remains to be seen, but she leaves behind a major gap that won't be quickly filled because of her immense popularity in the WWE Universe and sensational skills both in the ring and on the mic. In the five years she was on the main roster, she achieved far more than anyone ever expected her to; from her time as Raw General Manager to her three record-breaking Divas Championship reigns, the New Jersey native without question had a career that will one day earn her an induction into the WWE Hall of Fame. But while fans will have fond memories of her WWE tenure, she was also involved in many moments over the course of her career, both on- and off-screen, that are better off forgotten.
12. Being Embarrassed By Paige: April 7, 2014
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For 295 days, AJ Lee reigned supreme over the Divas division as its champion, taking on all comers and knocking off every challenger that stepped up to contend for the gold. In January 2014, she surpassed Maryse as the longest reigning Divas champion of all-time, later cementing her place as one of the greatest of all-time when she beat the entire division to retain her title in an open invitational at WrestleMania 30. One night removed from The Show of Shows, AJ went out to the ring on Raw to boast about her grand victory only to be interrupted by the debuting Paige. Although the former NXT Women's champion was only out there to "congratulate" her on her win, AJ didn't see it that way, instead humiliating her by shoving her down to the mat and challenging her to an impromptu title match. Taking advantage of an opportunity, Paige accepted the challenge, and within one minute, she hit her finisher (in sloppy fashion) and pinned AJ to become the new Divas champion, It was one of, if the greatest moment in the England native's short WWE career, but it was epitome of embarrassment for the former Raw General Manager. Still in a state of disbelief, AJ complained to the referee, but to no avail; the decision was final. Again, it was a way for Paige to make an immediate impact her first night in, but it was odd to end the lengthy reign of AJ in such anti-climactic fashion.