The road to WWE WrestlePalooza took a heated turn on the September 15 episode of Monday Night Raw, as the four participants in the mixed tag team match had an in-ring confrontation. The segment saw World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins and WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Becky Lynch come face-to-face with CM Punk and the returning AJ Lee, with the war of words ultimately turning physical just five days before their match this Saturday.
The segment kicked off the second hour of Raw, with Rollins and Lynch in the ring. They were quickly interrupted by CM Punk and AJ Lee, who received a massive ovation from the Massachusetts crowd, marking Lee’s first appearance in the state since 2014. The verbal battle was intense, with Lynch targeting Lee’s history of neck injuries, and Lee responding with candor about her uncertainty but vowing that Rollins couldn’t predict what she was capable of. Rollins then took a personal shot, reminding Lee of Punk’s history of “leaving with things let him down.”
This prompted Lee to slap Rollins across the face. Rollins then motioned for his wife, Becky Lynch, to attack Lee, but Lynch appeared to abandon her husband, leaving the ring by herself. However, this was revealed to be an elaborate ruse. As Punk was distracted, chasing Rollins out of the ring, Lynch slid back in and blindsided AJ Lee from behind, planting her with a Manhandle Slam. The show’s segment ended with Rollins and Lynch standing tall on the entrance ramp.