AJ Lee Hangs up The Chucks

AJ has called it a day. Mrs. CM Punk apparently made it official with WWE on Friday April 3 and since then the outcry from fans has been one of disappointment yet understanding. The fact is that we saw her departure coming at some point and even though this was not quite what we expected, it's difficult news to hear.

AJ was a bright spot in a division full of glamorous airbrushed Divas. Each girl seemed to be using the company as just a pit stop, a stepping stone to doing other things. With the exception of Natalya, AJ was the only one that seemed interested in being a pro wrestler.

That was the gimmick WWE used for her of course and there's a reason why it worked so well. AJ wasn't a model, she wasn't a budding celebrity, she was just a girl with a dream and she made that dream a reality.

Her girlhood dream came true. She was Shawn Michaels hugging the WWE Championship in the middle of the ring. She was Daniel Bryan getting the three count on Batista at WrestleMania 31 to the adulation of the crowd. She was CM Punk winning the belt from John Cena in Chicago then running out the door with it.

And she was all of those things every time she was on TV.

WWE was all she wanted. She made the best of her opportunities and she took advantage of every chance she had to shine. While the other girls were living it up on Total Divas, AJ was inspiring a generation of aspiring female wrestlers just by getting in the ring and doing what she loved to do.

Being the opposite of what WWE wants is not always a good thing however and eventually friction developed between both sides. Being Mrs. CM Punk also became a hinderance appparently for AJ and whether or not that was a reality somewhat imagined by fans is of little consequence now.

AJ dropped her pipebombs and she had her WWE career her way. Working in the company is not the same as working for the company; Superstars and Divas are independent contractors. They're hired to make money for WWE and hopefully they make a nice amount of money for themselves along the way. So when AJ saw something she disagreed with, she was vocal about it.

Fans expect that from the Punk clan and she did not disappoint. But AJ's career was a product of her efforts, not his. Her dreams of becoming a professional wrestler were realized thanks to her hard work, not his. And her exit from WWE may have had been related to his but make no mistake about it; the company will miss her as it misses him.

The unfortunate part of that is Vince McMahon would rather shove The Authority down your throat 24/7 than to admit WWE misses anyone. But love him or hate him, Punk did make a difference to fans. Like him, AJ Lee was an anomaly in a company that appreciates anomalies as long as they fall in line. She made a difference too and that will ultimately be her legacy.

Now WWE moves on with the Divas as if nothing ever happened. The show must go on, that's how it goes. But it won't be the same again. You gotta dig the crazy chicks.