WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13

Last edited by King Silva on Mon 08 Apr 2013, 1:42 am; edited 3 times in total

http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/29/wrestlemania-diary-aj-lee/day-one-26103830

UP AND AT ’EM, 9:02 a.m.

Shaking off the last remnants of sleep as Washington does the same, AJ Lee hurriedly navigates her bustling hotel lobby, pausing only briefly to snap a photo with a Dolph Ziggler fan donning the teal-and-yellow tee of her favorite Showoff. She tosses her bags into the cavernous trunk of a rented Ford Edge, all-too-aware that her four-hour New Jersey odyssey was missing an essential ingredient.

“Never trust anyone who doesn’t drink coffee,” AJ quips en route to one of D.C.’s all-too-numerous Starbucks locations, dispensaries of what AJ fondly calls her “comfort blanket” while she’s traveling. This java journey gives the WrestleMania-ready Diva a rare opportunity to explore the District of Columbia, which she still fondly remembers for playing host to one of her first-ever WWE television appearances on the Sept. 9 edition of “WWE Superstars” in 2010.

Caffeinated, AJ then locks in some familiar GPS coordinates, peering through dark-rimmed glasses at the road ahead.

ROAD WARRIOR AJ, 12:49 p.m.

“Sorry in advance, guys,” are never reassuring words, especially coming from a driver. But amid talk of her aspirations to one day write a book and what it was really like to try on her Raw 1,000 wedding dress (it gave her “goosebumps”), AJ offers fair warning to the WWE.com crew as her GPS drones that her old Union City stomping grounds were drawing near — streets she never had the privilege to drive upon even as a teenager.

“I started driving two years ago, technically,” explains AJ, whose family could not afford to get her a car when she reached the legal driving age of 16. “I don’t know how to drive in my hometown, since I either walked everywhere or took public transportation.” Pulled over at a rest area, AJ opts to relinquish the steering wheel for this final portion of the ride, content with re-entering her past, at least for now, from the passenger’s seat.

CITY LIMITS, 1:14 p.m.

Bounding between states of silent awe and giddy restlessness, AJ Lee is awash in emotions of all kinds as she reunites with Union City, a place the enigmatic Diva still calls home despite the muddled meaning of the word during much of her hardscrabble childhood.

In a span of less than 10 minutes, AJ points out no less than four of her family’s former residences nearby, which included a grand total of than 30 different apartments. Eviction was a fact of life when money wasn’t.

Despite the memories that bubble up to the surface as AJ glides past the boarded-up buildings and vacant lots that pockmark the landscape of her youth, she harbors no resentment for the city — and in turn, the state — that birthed her desire to follow a dream.

“Every bad thing [growing up] I ever went through was in Jersey, but every awesome lesson I learned was in Jersey,” AJ said, a black hooded sweatshirt pulled tightly over her head to brace against the biting wind. “For me, Jersey represents going through what you can go through and still surviving. That’s the cool thing about people from the Tri-State area. We’re fighters. We’re survivors, and we’re edgier than anyone else on Earth. I could be anywhere in the country and people will ask, ‘Are you from Jersey? ’ I’m proud of that. We’re a weird breed.”

WALKING IT OUT, 1:34 p.m.

AJ Lee isn’t a fan of walking … in fact, one might say she has an intense hatred of the act that dates back more than a decade. Without a family car and with bus fare even being unattainable on certain days, a young AJ Lee would find herself trekking miles to school or work.

“I’ve tallied a lot of miles in these Converses,” AJ says with laugh, drawing attention to her signature canvas footwear that’s more associated with anarchic skipping than arduous schlepping these days.

AJ’s distaste for walking didn’t stop her from taking a WrestleMania Week saunter across a Summit Avenue overpass — the very same overpass that AJ traversed to attend her very first wrestling school mere blocks away.

BACK TO SCHOOL, 2:30 p.m.

While actual living accommodations weren’t always “home” for her, AJ Lee once found solace in the ring at a now-defunct wrestling school, which provided the Jersey native with essential stability and, perhaps more importantly, a path when she needed it most.

Approaching the building for the first time in more than two years, AJ is instantly taken aback by its state of disrepair.

“It’s sad,” AJ says, wistfully peering up at the building where she learned the key in-ring fundamentals that would one day bring her to WWE. “This is where I was reborn in a way, so seeing [the school] like this is kind of like closing a chapter for me. But that’s OK, because I feel like I’m starting a new chapter this week.”

CHECKING IN, 4:30 p.m.

On and off for three years, AJ Lee, her family and their massive pitbull named Mugsy took up residence at Union City’s less-than-palatial Hilltop Motel, a locale that lived up to its moniker by requiring its residents —many of whom were also living there long-term out of necessity — to trudge up a steep incline to their cramped accommodations.

“This is why I have quads,” AJ jokes, allowing herself a brief laugh before tugging at some of the deepest roots of her childhood. Plagued by break-ins at the time, the since-renamed Hilltop Motel conjured up memories of a “scary” time for AJ as she fought back unexpected tears.
Her battle was ultimately a losing one, as watery eyes looked out across a desolate courtyard.

“I’m surprised how raw the memory of that motel is for me,” AJ later says in the car. “I thought I would be sort of over it, but I was transported more than a decade in the past, and I felt exactly how I felt back then — wanting to get out. But I’m actually glad I had those feelings. It’s nice to remember you’re still a human being.”

GIVE HER LIBERTY, 6:00 p.m.
Gazing out on the sprawling metropolis of New York City, Lady Liberty serving in silent vigil over New York Harbor in the distance, AJ Lee seems lost in thought, deeply contemplating the transformative experiences of the day. Or just as likely, she’s thinking of an appropriately salacious response to Dolph Ziggler’s latest text message. After a long day of laying her life bare, this mystifying young woman takes a moment all to herself at Jersey City’s Liberty State Park. She’s earned it.

In a quick motion, as if snapped out of a trance, AJ leaps up, pulls out her smart phone and snaps a picture of the skyline. She’s clearly enjoying the opportunity to play tourist.

“You never do this stuff when you actually live here,” says AJ, who left Union City two years ago for sunny Tampa, Fla. “When you leave and come back, you realize it’s iconic, and it’s something people come from around the world to see. This is the first time I’ve actually taken pictures of New York City, which is so bizarre.”

“Bizarre” seems to be an adequate descriptor for AJ’s WrestleMania Week, which has simultaneously forced her out of her comfort zone while reintroducing her to the all-too-familiar.

“You never forget where you come from, but it’s nice to remind yourself how real it is, and throw it in your face like that,” AJ adds. “I feel like I’ve done what I left here to do. It kind of makes me think, ‘What’s next?’ We’ll find out, I guess.”

Check back tomorrow for Day 2 …

I don't understand why she's having a road to Wrestlemania diary when she's not even going to compete in a match at WM even if its In her hometown.

It is sad that they couldn't even just add AJ/Kaitlyn to the Tag Title Match..

I guess the best they can hope for is that they get to have a catfight outside the ring.

I found this diary to be a good read so I'll try and keep up with them in this thread leading up to WM.

Unless they add them last minute maybe a segment either on the pre show or at mania itself announcing there gonna add them to the tag match Theres still hope out there.It sucks so bad that the Bella's are getting a Match but Kaitlyn the divas champ can't have one.

Agreed.

if they are planning to have AJ and Kaitlyn feud after WrestleMania then i'll be fine with them not getting a match. as long as the feud officially starts at the PPV. that way it means they will at least have some time to properly develop this feud as opposed to having a title match after only two weeks of build. however if their NXT title match is all they're going to have then i won't be very happy

http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/29/wrestlemania-diary-aj-lee/day-two-26104040

MIRROR, MIRROR, 8:55 a.m.

With just four nights remaining until AJ Lee graces The Grandest Stage of Them All, perhaps altering the course of a second championship reign at WrestleMania in as many years, Lee rolls out of bed in her Jersey City hotel room feeling the full enormity of the weekend ahead. From Axxess appearances to WrestleMania Reading Challenge finals and then the illustrious event itself on April 7, the unorthodox Diva approaches The Showcase of the Immortals with grace, or at least her own version of it.

Draping a skull-emblazoned sweater over a custom-torn Marvel Comics T-shirt, AJ slinks over to the mirror and ties her hair back in a simple ponytail — the closest she ever really gets to a traditionally “girly” primping ritual.

For a moment, AJ’s gaze meets that of her reflection, seeming to reach a mutual understanding with herself that whatever WrestleMania moment awaits her this year, she will own it.

“When I was really little, I wanted to be a wrestler so I could be like the girls I looked up to,” AJ says, reflecting on her decision to pursue a career in the squared circle at age 12. “My brother then told me that ‘you don’t want to be like your idols, you want to grow up and be better than them.’ To this day, that’s the best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten. You shouldn’t want to replicate somebody just because you like them. You can respect what they’ve done, but you should also want to surpass them.”

CHUCK WILD, 9:22 a.m.

As a sophomore in high school, AJ Lee stepped into her first pair of Chuck Taylors, igniting a lifelong love affair with Converse’s vintage basketball sneakers that would later entwine with her in-ring devotion. After all, who needs kickpads or wrestling boots when knee-high Chucks will do?

“I have probably more than 40 or 50 pairs of Chucks, which is probably unhealthy … I should see a doctor,” AJ says, displaying her candy-colored assortment of the classic lace-ups, including a pair themed after Batman villainess Poison Ivy and a “Wizard of Oz” ruby slipper–esque tandem. “There’s no place like home” indeed.

In addition to her Converse collection, which she keeps pristine and plastic-bagged until they’re worn in the ring, AJ always ensures that she has “casual” Chucks on hand, which she gleefully scuffs.

“Chucks are cooler when they’re dirty,” AJ affirms. “I actually stepped on somebody’s the other day because they were too clean.”

A PICTURE’S WORTH … 9:44 a.m.

Carefully laid out across AJ Lee’s desk, otherwise overtaken by her massive WrestleMania itinerary and Grant Morrison–penned “Batman” comics, are five photographs that the Diva calls her “good luck charms” for her chaotic WrestleMania Week, a portrait of her curiously named blond Chihuahua “Señor Nacho Cheese Mendez” peering up at her from the center of the arrangement. In an age of digitized pictures, AJ opts for the real deal.

“Since I’m going to be here all week, and since this is a pretty special week, I needed a bit of home,” she says, in an instant reminded of the surreality of her road life transporting her back to native New Jersey for The Showcase of the Immortals.

With her family unable to attend WrestleMania this year, AJ holds close snapshots of her parents, her two best childhood friends, her older siblings Robert and Erica, and the undisputed “love of her life,” the aforementioned “Cheese.” It appears, in this instance, Dolph Ziggler will have to settle for second place.

RAISING THE BAR, 6:04 p.m.

Just prior to her life-changing tryout at WWE developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling, AJ Lee worked as a secretary at a spa in Jersey City that neighbors a gym … a gym she never actually used despite the close proximity.

Intensely focused on her workout — she doesn’t even listen to music — AJ approaches fitness in a way that belies the fact that she’s still relatively new at it.

“The first time I ever actually lifted a weight was three years ago at our training facility at FCW,” AJ admits. “That kind of brought me into this lifestyle I was never used to.”

Now, wholly confident as she stacks plates for her muscle-building regimen of squats, deadlifts and Romanian deadlifts, the diminutive but increasingly powerful Jersey native seems to impress even the most seasoned gym goers in the room.

“I lift pretty heavy for my body weight, and I don’t do any of that girly stuff like cardio or any light weights,” AJ says with a laugh. “I go really heavy, and that intimidates some guys. I enjoy that.”

WWE MALL STAR, 6:21 p.m.
At the last minute, AJ realizes that despite packing enough clothes that could probably have her set through SummerSlam, she needs an outfit for a TV appearance and bristles at the thought of a mall expedition.

“My least favorite aspect of shopping is shopping,” AJ says with a grimace, passing by racks of shoulder-studded blazers, knee-length leather skirts and lime green tops emblazoned with multi-colored, roaring cheetahs.

“I like shopping if it involves food or that GameStop we passed on the way over here,” AJ says, approaching the fitting room with the same enthusiasm typical of a child going to the dentist. “I’m not very good at this.”

After trying on a few combinations, the reluctant fashionista finally chooses a fitting ensemble. The roaring cheetah top doesn’t make the cut.

Check back later today for more entries.

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13 AJ_04042013rf-28

INSIDE AXXESS, 7:46 p.m.

Garbed in a polka-dotted dress, leather jacket and her Gotham City-approved Poison Ivy Converses, AJ Lee arrives for her first signing session at WWE Axxess, a WWE fan experience that unites WWE Universe members from around the world. But before meeting the throngs filing into IZOD Center, the always unique Diva briefly slips away from the chaos for a quiet convo with Lita, the Attitude Era icon that served as inspiration when she herself fantasized about one day stepping through the ropes.

The pair originally crossed paths more than a decade earlier, when AJ waited in line to meet one of her heroes at WWE New York in Times Square.

Following this clandestine Axxess exchange — the latest in a series of past-meets-present moments that have defined her Garden State homecoming — AJ is ushered to her signing table, an arsenal of Sharpies at her disposal. Ms. Lee, your public awaits.

WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13 AJ_04042013rf-250

WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13 AJ_04042013rf-250

WHEN I GROW UP, 9:35 p.m.

Lending her two-letter insignia to hundreds of AJ Lee aficionados, the New Jersey native meets Axxess attendees who traveled from far-off lands like Belfast, Ireland, to see their favorite Diva. However, it was a fellow New Jersey girl from East Orange donning knee-high Chucks that brought one of the biggest smiles to AJ’s face.

“The most amazing part of any autograph session is when there’s somebody wearing the tall Chucks or Converse in general,” AJ says of the homage. “It’s something that’s kind of tomboy-ish, but it’s also something that’s cool now for a certain type of girl. I’m super proud to be creating this army of wonderful weirdos.”

This particular so-called “wonderful weirdo” is Crista Christian, who bought her tributary lace-ups one month earlier and vowed not to wear them until she met her role model. In addition to a common fashion sense, the 15-year-old shares the same dream AJ cultivated as a teenager when she herself met Lita: Someday, she wants to be a Diva.

“For anyone that looks up to me, I really hope they’d want to better than me and are better than me,” AJ says in response to Crista’s proclamation. “I hope they blow me out of the water and that they’re their own person—not ‘AJ No. 2.’ But if this is it, hey, come kick my butt.”

WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13 AJ_04032013rf-613

WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13 AJ_04032013rf-613

WICKS AND KICKS, 10:57 p.m.

After Axxess, her arms filled with fan-gifted “My Little Pony” trinkets and assorted cookies, AJ is greeted in the lobby by WWE fans hoping for a chance to have their picture taken with a former Raw General Manager. Posing for tweet-worthy snapshots with the WWE Universe and signing AJ Lee action figures — her first of many Mattel-crafted miniatures — AJ finally bids the WWE Universe farewell for the night and vanishes into the elevator for the sanctity of her room.

There, a dressed-down AJ reunites with her childhood friend, who has long gone by the name “KDQ.” First meeting in third grade, the two have a lot to catch up on, but that doesn’t stop the conversation from lingering momentarily on the subject of AJ’s recently acquired Japanese cherry blossom scented candles. Although long since separated by time and distance, the pair clearly has little difficulty picking up where they left off last time.

“Everyone grows up with a dream, but who actually does it?” KDQ asks as AJ looks on, perched at the corner of the bed. “You turn the TV on and she’s there. This is a girl I grew up with and went to school with, someone I kicked and got kicked by, and now look at her. She’s out there kicking all kinds of people. It’s amazing.”

^ Wow how the fuck did I miss another two pages..

I swear the first two were the only ones up when I posted it because I'd not have NOT posted a Lita/AJ pic!

I'm going to post the 3rd day soon [I just hope I get it all]..

http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/29/wrestlemania-diary-aj-lee/day-three-26104668

RADIO-ACTIVE 8:18 a.m.
“Oh 3:30 a.m. alarm, I hate you like you stole my boyfriend.”

So tweeted AJ Lee at the culmination of a night’s sleep that could best be described as an after-hours nap. She wakes her (unstolen) boyfriend Dolph Ziggler from his slumber — no doubt filled with visions of a WWE Tag Team Title conquest at WrestleMania — not realizing that his session at radio row begins long after hers. The until-recently snoozing Showoff isn’t usually quick to forgive, but for AJ, he makes many exceptions.

“He’s my ‘Ziggy’ and he’s so nice and he never gets mad at me,” AJ says with a mischievous grin. “He just kind of played it off.”

As she navigates the Axxess floor for radio row — where media personalities talk WrestleMania with elite WWE Superstars and Divas — AJ exudes excitement despite her lack of sleep. Her morning is packed with vibrant conversations about her lifelong passion, going from chatting with Fresno, Calif., DJ Danny Salas about the thrill of seeing Big E Langston compete in his first WWE match to gushing about the managerial skill set of “Sensational” Sherri with Peter Rosenberg of New York’s Hot 97 fame.

“I have to do a lot of radio interviews, and the hosts aren’t always knowledgeable about WWE,” AJ explains. “Everyone today was clearly a fan and knew what they were talking about. That’s always a pleasant surprise.”

STRATUS UPDATE, 8:38 a.m.
Between radio row ponderings about the outcome of Sunday’s WWE Tag Team Championship Match (AJ expects Daniel Bryan to be wringing tears out of his scraggly beard), the ever-so-confident Diva has a welcome run-in with 2013 WWE Hall of Fame inductee Trish Stratus. A ring icon, Stratus — like AJ herself — defied expectations when she made her debut.

“I got to meet Trish two years ago in an elevator, and she was just very sweet and said that she saw big things in me,” AJ says after the pair’s laughter-filled conversation. “That was so flattering. She’s always given me guidance, and to this day, even during her busy week, she found the time to offer me advice. Little 13-year-old AJ is flipping out on the inside.”

As to the exact nature of this particular impromptu encounter?

“Besides me apologizing for stealing Trish’s hair multiple times throughout my life — which is a recurring theme for me — she just always has a helpful lesson to give me and I always have questions for her,” AJ affirms, excitedly texting her “Ziggy” about the experience. “But what we were talking about stays between us.”

SETTING THE (GRANDEST) STAGE, 9:54 a.m.
Finishing up at radio row, AJ takes a brief detour across the Meadowlands parking lot to MetLife Stadium, where hard-hatted crew members work tirelessly to craft a setting worthy of The Showcase of the Immortals.

As sunlight pours into the stadium roof, AJ gazes upon a landscape that instantly makes this year’s WrestleMania more tangible than ever.

“Doing interviews and talking about WrestleMania, it still feels so far away, but after seeing the ring and walking down the ramp, it’s actually happening,” she says, peering up at the grandiose WrestleMania set. “I definitely don’t see myself sleeping at all Saturday night. This is what I imagine Christmas is like for regular children. I’m going to be up all night and will, in turn, keep ‘Ziggy’ up all night.”

CAKING POINT, 11:16 a.m.
After her sneak preview of WrestleMania’s grandeur, AJ Lee’s sweet tooth takes control. She swings by her hotel to pick up her pugilistic pal Big E Langston, a rippling mass of humanity who looks out of place in any vehicle without armor plating and tank treads. Squeezing into an SUV with his unhinged ally, Langston prepares for some pre-WrestleMania carb-loading at renowned Carlo’s Bake Shop in Hoboken, N.J.

Initially expressing some mild disappointment that the home of TV’s “Cake Boss” serves nothing in the way of “big plates of meat,” Langston enters the crowded-to-capacity bakery and ultimately casts his gaze upon a glass case bearing a vast selection of sugary treats. But there’s one dessert that tempts above all others: strawberry shortcake. Langston does not leave Carlo’s dissatisfied, and neither does AJ.

“I worked in Hoboken and I passed by Carlo’s and I watched the show, but I just never thought I’d have the patience to wait in line with a couple hundred people,” AJ tells WWE.com. “It was cool to be able to beat the crowds … I think people were afraid of E.”

Not really feeling the need to set aside any indulgences for Dolph, proclaiming that she’s “all the sweetness he needs,” AJ plans on treating herself this afternoon, especially given the hectic morning she’s had.

“I’ve been up since 3:30, so I’m going to fall asleep with cupcake hanging out of my mouth as I have a serious sugar crash,” AJ affirms. “And that’s the way to nap.”

Check back later today for more updates ...

World Champion Number of posts : 1445 Registration date : 2011-06-10

AJ responding to a tweet from Trish...

WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13 Tumblr_mkte6cvidl1s9sluwo1_500

Diary # 3 Part 2:

AJ & DOLPH TAKE MANHATTAN, 6:48 p.m.
The continuous frenzy surrounding The Showcase of the Immortals has kept AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler apart for much of the week, but a trip to Midtown Manhattan to meet WrestleMania Reading Challenge finalists grants the burgeoning power couple some necessary “we” time.

“I’m hoping we get caught in traffic so we can catch up a little bit, because texting isn’t the same,” The Showoff tells WWE.com en route to the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel for the event. Yet despite Dolph’s preference for analog interactions as his girlfriend nestled beside him, both he and AJ can’t seem to put their phones down, perhaps sending one another covert digital messages not meant for the prying eyes and ears of others in the car.

Upon their arrival at the hotel, AJ and Dolph gaze out the window at the New York City streets below, contemplating grandiose plans for WrestleMania and beyond.

FATHER MATERIAL, 7:31 p.m.
Intently observing her “Ziggy” at tonight’s WrestleMania Reading Challenge signing and other events tailored for young WWE Universe members, AJ has come to appreciate Dolph Ziggler in new, eye-opening and, in this case, bewildering ways.

“Like any of the [WrestleMania] Reading Challenge events, my favorite part is seeing what Dolph will be like as a dad,” AJ says, glancing sidelong at The Showoff, who lends his signature to a book-loving child’s copy of the latest WWE Encyclopedia. “He’s really great with kids.”

COMFORT ZONE, 10:06 p.m.
Returning to her hotel room at the tail-end of an 18-hour day, AJ Lee is tired, but sleep is the last thing on her mind. Instead, clad in sweatpants, zebra-print socks and a Pikachu-emblazoned top, AJ lounges in her hotel room with her blond beau, who has since replaced his ostentatious blazer with a simple gray hoodie.

The scene is oddly low-key for this show-stealing pair, AJ face-deep in a comic book while Dolph thumbs through his Twitter backlog. The time for bombast, it seems, will come in less than 48 hours.

all the pics and stories that go along with them are cool. Nice read.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/29/wrestlemania-diary-aj-lee/day-four-26105061

PAPER VIEW, 10:55 a.m.
If AJ Lee’s home were somehow set ablaze, there are two things she would scoop up before fleeing out the nearest exit: her blond Chihuahua and what she calls her “fire box,” a compact collection of her most treasured personal trinkets and professional mementos.

The inaugural contents of that sentimental repository, which also houses the wrist tape from her in-ring debut, were her WrestleMania XX tickets that granted AJ and her father access to the Diva-to-be’s first live WWE experience. She’s even kept their original envelope.

The seats weren’t the best in the house, placing AJ and her dad high in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. The distance to the ring mattered little to the aspiring Diva, though, as she witnessed first-hand the reborn Undertaker square off with his brother Kane — a confrontation between two of AJ’s favorite Superstars growing up.

“That was the most important day in my life up until that point, and also the happiest,” AJ says. “I needed to hold on to that.”

GARDEN GROWN, 11:31 a.m
The World’s Most Famous Arena has transformed considerably since it last played host to The Show of Shows nine years ago, but if anyone’s familiar with metamorphoses, it’s AJ Lee. Due to ongoing renovations throughout Madison Square Garden, her and her father’s WrestleMania XX seats — Sec. 426, Row E, Seats 17 and 18 — technically no longer exist. Nevertheless, the determined Diva climbs the Garden stairs to find a view matching that of her seminal Show of Shows experience.

Satisfied that she has found a reasonable facsimile of her WrestleMania XX vantage point, AJ leans back, her legs propped up on the seat in front of her as she curiously gazes down — ever the WWE fan — at construction for the night’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

“I don’t think there’s a place I have more of a connection to than the Garden,” AJ says, who last did some MSG seat-searching prior to Survivor Series 2011. “And that connection is to WrestleMania, and we’re going to personalize it even more tomorrow when it’s going to be in New Jersey, 10 minutes from my hometown. And I’m going to be there. It’s making it all real, and connecting the dots. I can’t wait for it to be 7 p.m. tomorrow night.”

Diary 4, Part 2:

SHOWOFF SHOWN UP, 6:34 p.m.
Two months before AJ and “Ziggy” spent their first romantic Christmas together — Dolph likely foregoing eggnog for protein shakes — one young AJ Lee devotee beat The Showoff to the punch, professing his love for the then–Raw General Manager at Ringside Fest 2012 in Times Square, N.Y., with a bended-knee marriage proposal.

We all know about AJ’s history with weddings, so it’s probably for the best that Matthew Hale, 9, didn’t get a definitive answer. The ambiguity of the situation fails to discourage the Staten Island native from reminding his would-be fiancée about his intentions right in front of Dolph.

Impressed by the bravado of the tenacious lothario, Ziggler had little choice but to challenge his rival in romance to a match.

“I think he should just watch his back, cause he doesn’t know what’s coming in that match,” Hale tells WWE.com, taking Dolph’s playful dare 100 percent seriously. When asked about his strategy if he were to clash with “Mr. Money in the Bank,” his answer comes quickly.

“Easy,” Hale says. “I’m going to knock out the referee and hit Dolph Ziggler with a chair.”

TOP-TEAR DEVOTION, 7:10 p.m.
It’s not uncommon for WWE Universe members to go above and beyond when they meet their heroes, but the girls and young women who await the chance to convene with the diminutive Diva during an Axxess autograph signing are faithful to a tee.

Whether gifting AJ packages of cookies, 12-inch “Metal Gear Solid” action figures or unicorn-doodled hand-written letters, the Diva’s most passionate female fans are not dissimilar from the teenaged Union City girl whose emotions took over when she met Lita back in 2001. AJ can relate.

One fellow Jersey native, Taylor from Weehawken, lets the tears come as AJ offers an embrace and, later, encouraging tweets visible to 757,169 followers. AJ might not be perceived as the most balanced or kind Diva in WWE — just ask John Cena, Kaitlyn, Daniel Bryan, Kane and countless others — but she hasn’t forgotten what it was like to be on the other end of the autograph table.

JUST DESSERTS, 7:23 p.m.
Perhaps no moment over the last year quite defined AJ Lee as her ladder-toppling betrayal of John Cena at WWE Tables, Ladders & Chairs 2012, and what better way to immortalize this defection to Dolph Ziggler’s side than with a chocolate cake? At WrestleMania Axxess, a pair of girls presents a photo of the delicious desert that makes the sometimes-sinister Diva’s mouth water, but it’s not because she’s famished.

With a scene involving AJ Lee’s action figure sending the Cenation leader’s Mattel totem plummeting from a plastic ladder into the whipped frosting below, the fan-made confection screams devil’s food.

“I like any girl who can appreciate pushing a dude off a ladder,” AJ says with a wicked smirk.

HIS FUTURE’S SO BRIGHT … , 7:29 p.m.
When a WWE fan presents AJ with a pair of bizarre novelty sunglasses, its lenses adorned with smooch-tastic lipstick insignias, AJ does the only thing that feels natural to her at the moment: She leans over, places the over-the-top eyewear on Big E Langston’s face, and struggles to restrain her laughter … but not too hard.

There are few who would dare make Big E Langston look foolish, and even fewer who would get away with it. Yet, AJ shares a unique bond with the tank-like 290-pounder making his WrestleMania debut just 24 hours later.

It’s probable AJ’s just blowing off steam with her gargantuan guy friend, but she could very well be sending a pointed message to ex-boyfriend Daniel Bryan, whose post-WrestleMania nightmares last year were filled with similarly haunting images of reign-slaying puckered lips, kissing the prize goodbye.

IT’S ’VATOR TIME, 8:07 p.m.
On the Axxess floor in the IZOD Center concourse, AJ Lee, Big E Langston and Dolph Ziggler pass by such relics as Shawn Michaels’ WrestleMania XII entrance garb and Triple H’s “Skull King” mask en route to a private arena elevator.

As the floor numbers count down during the descent, so do the minutes to April 7, when this single-minded triumvirate will craft its own WrestleMania moment in front of millions of WWE Universe members watching around the globe. Dolph Ziggler’s “here to show the world” entrance theme lyrics have never been more appropriate.

During the brief ride, AJ positions herself between her future champions, the calculating Diva’s uneasy silence hinting at massive problems for Team Hell No at MetLife Stadium.

“I don’t think the match will necessarily come down to Big E Langston or Dolph Ziggler,” claims AJ aficionado Dana Ghazzawi, who traveled four hours from Maryland to meet her unorthodox idol at Axxess. “It will come down to what AJ can do.”

Subject: Re: WrestleMania Diary: AJ Lee, Day 4 Posted 4/7/13

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