Break the rules. Be a fighter. Any dream is possible if you are brave enough to do it YOUR way. Thank you all. pic.twitter.com/qu7bBOMFdu

— A.J. (@WWEAJLee) April 5, 2015

BREAKING: AJ Lee (April Mendez) has decided to retire from in-ring competition with WWE. We wish AJ the very best.

— WWE (@WWE) April 3, 2015

This isn’t shocking by any means, but it’s still sad to see someone retire in the prime of their career. AJ had only been on the main roster for 5 years, but her impact was enormous. She fought, scratched and clawed her way to the top, managed multiple World Heavyweight Champions, found and got married to the love of her life and achieved her ultimate dream of being a Diva’s champion. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, but that’s not how life works. Plainly put, the WWE Divas division is a better place because of AJ Lee, and I hope the higher ups continue to focus on the division as an important part of their shows. AJ wasn’t always happy with her position in the company, or the Divas in general, and much like her husband CM Punk, she wasn’t just going to sit there and take it. She was outspoken in promos and on Twitter when she felt like things weren’t happening fairly, and even though she’s leaving, she’s a big reason why Give Diva’s A Chance even started. She was selfless, an excellent role model to younger girls and did everything she could to differentiate herself from the “norm” of what a WWE Diva should be like. She’s inspired women like Paige, Bailey, Charlotte and Sasha Banks, all of whom will be the center pieces of the WWE Diva’s division for years to come. If I had to sum up AJ Lee in one story, it would be from this Monday’s Raw. In what ended up being her last televised match, AJ wore a Bailey T-shirt to the ring. She knew this would be her final time on WWE television (for now, hopefully) and wanted to go out helping out whoever she could. The WWE Universe will miss AJ Lee, but I’ll find comfort in knowing she’s going to be bad ass in whatever she does next.

– Ryan