Summary

Tatum Paxley said AJ Lee's public support was an "amazing way" to start her morning after discovering the reaction online, and she also reflected on meeting Lee for the first time during WrestleMania week.

Paxley discussed both moments while speaking with TMZ Sports. The NXT Women's North American Champion said the attention from Lee mattered because it felt like validation that her work is connecting, especially after finally getting the chance to meet her in person.

Quote from Tatum Paxley

"I like how we tied this in together because I don't like, I don't really read my notifications much, especially for Twitter. Cause Twitter, in my opinion is one of the more toxic apps that we have. So I get on Twitter this morning and I'm just scrolling the timeline and I see one of the posts saying, 'AJ Lee wants to adopt Tatum Paxley,' and I went, 'what?' I ran to her page and I'm like, oh my gosh, like I didn't- I'm so glad I just saw this. So I had to see like another account post it for me to see it. I was like, 'oh my gosh,' it was an amazing way to wake up this morning."

Paxley later went on to say:

"Oh my gosh. There really isn't a word for it. So I met her for the first time during Mania Week, and I remember I saw her and Punk walking up and I was like, 'oh, my gosh, this is my first time meeting you.' I'm hugging her, and she was just like, so, so incredibly kind and so incredibly sweet, and, you know, I just love that we get to have vets like that here. I'm so thankful that she's back and she's doing amazing, and, you know, to get recognized, noticed by her, it means the world, again, it just reminds me, 'okay, I'm doing my job, I'm doing good,' and I would love down the line that I could do more stuff with her because I think when you put two crazy chicks together, you're going to get some pretty cool stuff."

What AJ Lee's nod could mean for Tatum Paxley

For Paxley, the biggest takeaway is that a veteran she clearly respects has now publicly acknowledged her character work. That does not confirm any future pairing, but it does show Paxley is gaining visibility beyond weekly NXT television.

It also adds a little more weight to the kind of buzz WWE talent generated during WrestleMania week. That same stretch produced other memorable media moments, including Jade Cargill and Je'Von Evans opening up about fan encounters during WrestleMania week, and Paxley's story fits that broader post-WrestleMania spotlight.

Sources

Tatum Paxley while speaking with TMZ Sports