Tag: Raw

WWE pays tribute to production employee Jim Shank after passing

Posted on by Joseph Currier

At the end of Raw last night, WWE paid tribute to a beloved long-time employee who recently passed away.

Monday night’s show closed with a graphic honoring Jim Shank, who died at 60 years old on February 6 following a multi-year battle with colorectal cancer. Shank worked for WWE for more than 25 years and had been employed as the company’s Technical Operations Manager. He was known as “Shank” within WWE and was well-respected by his colleagues and the roster.

Near the end of his battle with cancer, a GoFundMe campaign raised more than $200,000 to help Shank pay for an emerging treatment they hoped would save his life. Vince McMahon, Kevin Owens, Randy Orton, Alexa Bliss, Cody Rhodes, Bruce Prichard, Chris Jericho, Rusev, and Shinsuke Nakamura were among the top donors.

“On Friday, the @WWE family lost a beloved member of its production crew,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque tweeted today. “Jim Shank was a fixture backstage and an incredible teammate, who helped create the magic of the live experience at WWE. My thoughts and those of our entire crew and talent roster are with his family at this time. It’s never goodbye…but see ya down the road.”

“Godspeed, Jim Shank,” Adam Pearce wrote. “WWE has many unsung heroes: Incredible men and women that perhaps aren’t seen on screen, yet truly make everything we do shine. Jim is unquestionably one of those, and has been a respected member of our family for years.

“I thank you, Jimmy… for your talents, your time, and most importantly, your friendship. Connections through Houston won’t ever be the same. Rest well, my friend.”

Shank first joined WWE in November 1999. He had just turned 60 years old on January 28.

WWE Raw live results: Elimination Chamber qualifiers continue

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: February 9, 2026
Location: Rocket Arena in Cleveland, OH 

The Big Takeaway —

AJ Lee is back and will face Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Championship at Elimination Chamber in her new hometown of Chicago. In his hometown as well, CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight Championship against Finn Bálor. 

Rhea Ripley qualified for the Women’s Elimination Chamber, while LA Knight qualified for the Men’s Chamber. 

**********

Show Recap — 

Michael Cole kicked off by saying Cleveland was known, among other things, as the city where the Monday Night Wars came to an end. He announced there would be over 10,000 in attendance tonight.

CM Punk arrived and, surprise surprise, was joined by AJ Lee.

Becky Lynch arrived moments later just behind them (they didn’t notice). She freaked out and ran off the other way. 

Cole announced that Bron Breakker was injured while training. He had surgery and would be out indefinitely.

Becky Lynch and AJ Lee kick off Raw 

A frantic Becky Lynch marched to the ring. She wondered when the disrespect would end. She planned to talk about the injustice at the Royal Rumble, but instead saw who decided to return to her show. 

The crowd chanted for AJ Lee, and she entered. Lee said she was there to support her girl, Maxxine Dupri, who had a match tonight. Maybe she would hang out in catering when it was over. 

Lynch cut her off. Lynch said Lee tried to act all cute, but she saw through it. Lynch didn’t like her eyebrows and compared her to a chihuahua that kept barking at her, keeping her up at night and ruining her life. 

Lee called that a tad dramatic because she hadn’t done anything to her—besides beating her at Wrestlepalooza and WarGames. She also cost her the IC title against Dupri at Madison Square Garden. But it was water under the bridge now that Lynch was champion again. 

Lynch acted maniacally (or tried to) and asked what it would take to get rid of her. Lynch noted that Elimination Chamber would be in Lee’s hometown of Chicago. Lynch asked if Lee wanted her to ruin Lee’s life the way Lee ruined hers. 

Lee acted like she wasn’t sure because she hadn’t had a singles match in over a decade. It had to be special. Lee said she beat Lynch already, which should really make her the number one contender. Lynch repeatedly said no while the crowd chanted, “Yes.” 

Lee said, “No title, no match,” so Lynch begrudgingly agreed. Lynch said if Lee felt like she had been held down by “the man” before, she had no idea what she was in for now. Lynch welcomed her to the big time before storming out of the ring. Lee was happy.

(Can’t say I was a big fan of the acting in this segment. To the point where it was almost hard to watch. The match makes sense, and they were obviously headed here eventually. It’s fair to wonder why Lee waited this long. Maybe she wanted to wait until Lynch was champion again, but she’s the one who cost her the belt in the first place.) 

******** 

World Tag Team Championship match: The Usos (c) vs. Otis & Akira Tozawa

Otis and Tozawa were all over Jimmy and Jey early on, and Otis press-slammed Tozawa over the top and onto both Usos ahead of a break. The Usos took control during a break, almost in a heelish manner. Tozawa knocked Jey off the apron before getting hit with a Samoan drop by Jimmy. Moments later, Jey punched Tozawa behind the referee’s back. 

Tozawa absolutely planted Jey with a DDT before making the hot tag to Otis, who ran wild on both guys before hitting Jimmy with a World’s Strongest Slam for two. Jey made a blind tag and cut off a Caterpillar attempt with a superkick (which missed completely). The Usos superkicked Otis, but Tozawa made a tag and delivered multiple suicide dives. He even mocked Jey’s “run it back” gesture while doing so, which was great.  

Tozawa hit Jimmy with a diving senton for a close nearfall. Otis tagged in, but Jimmy superkicked both Tozawa and Otis. The Usos gave Otis a double spear, and they followed with a 1D for the pinfall win (Jey pinned Otis). 

— Byron Saxton interviewed The Usos post-match and asked what was next as we headed to WrestleMania. Jey gave Alpha Academy a shout-out first. Jimmy said they would continue to be the best tag team in the game, but what he wanted next was to see Jey qualify for the Chamber, win the match, and go on to being Main Event Jey Uso. Everyone said “Yeet,” and they hugged. 

Match result: The Usos defeated Otis & Akira Tozawa to retain the World Tag Team Championships (10:01) 

(I suppose the last few moments were exciting—once Tozawa got in—but the Usos looked really off.) 

*******

There was a recap of the CM Punk-Roman Reigns promo segment. 

They aired a clip of AJ Styles on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast. It included backstage footage from after his loss to Gunther, getting hugs from Shane Helms and Xavier Woods. 

Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer segment 

Liv Morgan entered with Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio. Morgan was about to speak, but Dom cut her off. He presented her with flowers and chocolates to congratulate her on winning the Rumble. Morgan was thrilled. She thanked him and said his gift would come later. 

Morgan announced we were in the presence of the greatest IC champion and Rumble winner of all time. She said she put Stephanie Vaquer and Jade Cargill on notice. They were afraid of her because they knew they would lose at Mania if she chose to face them. 

They stalled for a moment until Dom was about to speak, but he jumped when pyro suddenly went off (like Kane’s fireworks) for Stephanie Vaquer’s entrance. (A week later, her new music still sounds awful.) 

Vaquer told Morgan she talked too much. She said something in Spanish, and Morgan wanted Dom to translate. Dom didn’t want to repeat what she said, so he responded to Vaquer in Spanish instead. Morgan wanted to know what he said. Stephanie responded, “He said, He’s a little bitch.” 

Morgan called her a liar. She accused Vaquer of wanting Dom and offered her a “Hot Girls Love Dominik” shirt, but didn’t think she was qualified to wear it. Vaquer told Morgan to pick her so she could kick her ass at WrestleMania. 

Morgan said she didn’t plan to rush into making a decision. Morgan stated, “If you don’t like it, you can cry about it, puta.” Vaquer was pissed at this line and slapped Dom for getting between them. Vaquer stormed off instead of just going after Morgan right now. 

******** 

Rhea Ripley, Ivy Nile, and Lyra Valkyria cut pre-taped promos ahead of their qualifying match. 

Triple threat Elimination Chamber qualifying match: Tag Team Champion Rhea Ripley vs. Ivy Nile vs. Lyra Valkyria 

After a break, Nile was upside down in the corner while Valkyria climbed over to set up Ripley for a superplex. However, Nile managed to bring them both down with a double suplex. Ripley cut off Nile’s offence moments later and hit a low dropkick. 

Ripley and Valkyria traded counters until Ripley got her in the electric chair drop position. It seemed like they were setting up for Nile to hit a flying crossbody to knock down Valkyria, but Ripley dropped Valkyria before she could. Nile went for the move anyway and missed as a result, but she was smart enough to go for a cover on the prone Valkyria for two. 

Nile gave Ripley a snap German suplex, and Ripley almost landed badly on Valkyria. Nile gave Valkyria a spinning Uranage for two before applying a dragon sleeper, but Ripley broke that up with a headbutt. Ripley went for Rip-tide, but Nile countered with a backstabber. 

Valkyria hit Nile with a Nightwing, but Ripley flew in and clonked her with a running knee strike. Ripley followed with a Rip-tide on Valkyria for the pinfall win. 

Ripley joins Tiffany Stratton in the Chamber. 

Match result: Rhea Ripley defeated Lyra Valkyria and Ivy Nile to qualify for the Women’s Elimination Chamber (9:29)

This match had pretty good action, but the crowd was dead and seemed less interested as it went on. I think they were just waiting for Ripley to win, but Nile was the one who got the most offence in before Ripley ultimately won. (Nile was also protected over Valkyria in the finish.) 

******* 

Morgan checked on Dom backstage. He was still selling getting slapped. Morgan tried to console him by saying he had a Chamber qualifying match next week. Dom wasn’t happy because he still had to defend the IC title. 

They saw a dejected Finn Bálor nearby, and Dom tried to console him, saying JD McDonagh would be back soon and that they could go after the tag titles. Bálor said he wasn’t done with Punk or the world title. Dom said his window might be closed with Punk facing Roman Reigns at Mania. 

Bálor told him, “You know what, Dom? I’m tired of being an afterthought. I thought we were supposed to be a family.” Bálor left. 

******** 

Finn Bálor and CM Punk segment 

Cole was in the ring, ready to interview Punk, but Finn Bálor slid into the ring and grabbed the mic. He reminded us that he left Punk lying in the middle of the ring like a wounded dog two weeks ago. Punk was hurt, and Bálor knew it because he was the one who hurt him. 

Bálor wouldn’t let Reigns take advantage of his kill. It wouldn’t be the first time Reigns did. Reigns took advantage when the top rope snapped on Bálor, while he had Reigns beat in the middle of the ring for the title. Bálor was tired of being an afterthought and tired of being pushed around. He wanted Punk and the World Heavyweight title at Elimination Chamber. Punk beat him on his home turf, so Bálor would beat Punk on his. 

Adam Pearce walked out with security. Pearce said they had already had this conversation. Bálor had his shot, and it was too late to get another. The world title was spoken for. Pearce said he’s known Bálor a long time and didn’t want this to get ugly. He asked Bálor to leave the ring or else security would get involved. 

Punk entered and chased Bálor out of the ring. Security got between them as Bálor stood on the announce table. Punk said Bálor wasn’t an afterthought. He was his first thought, and he deserved an ass-beating. Punk invited him into the ring for a fight. 

Bálor said he wasn’t fighting for nothing. He wanted Punk to put the title on the line. Punk accepted and wanted the match right now. 

Pearce declined the match because he didn’t want to risk the WrestleMania main event. Punk demanded he make the match because, as the champion, he deserved to have a say. If not, he would chase Bálor around the arena all night. Pearce reluctantly made the match official for the Chamber show. (The crowd cheered the match but booed the location.) The crowd chanted for Punk as security followed Bálor to the back. 

Punk invited Cole to go on with his interview. Cole asked why he would jeopardize one of the greatest main events in history for this match (against Bálor). Punk said he wasn’t jeopardizing anything. He was building something. He was chasing greatness. He was being the fighting champion the people deserved to see every Monday night. 

The greatness he was chasing was a story that he told ten years ago, when he was champion for over 400 days. He tried to be just 1% better every day. He would fight anybody, anywhere, to prove that he was what he said he was—the best in the world. 

He wasn’t jeopardizing anything. He was brave enough to know there was no reward without risk. He was humble enough to know it could end at any time. But he was also confident enough to know, “That shit ain’t gonna happen.” 

Punk didn’t believe Reigns when he said he hated him. Punk was building something, and Reigns hated that he couldn’t stop it. WrestleMania would only end one way—with his hand getting raised.

(It really feels like they’re killing time with this Bálor feud, but Punk was great again here. He comes across like a rightful world champion, and certainly isn’t shy about telling us about it.) 

******** 

Pearce thanked security for escorting Bálor out of the building. He was confronted by Paul Heyman and The Vision (no Bron Breakker). Heyman said Pearce pushed Breakker to the point that he went home and deadlifted weights until 5:00 AM when he popped a hernia. It was a career-ending injury for anyone but Breakker. Heyman put the blame squarely on Pearce. 

Pearce got in Heyman’s face. He knew Breakker was the future, and nobody besides the Vision wanted Breakker back faster than him. He warned the Vision not to get involved in Austin Theory’s qualifying match tonight—and that was a threat. 

Logan Paul wondered what Pearce would do about it if they didn’t get involved. Logan said he was the biggest star to come out of Cleveland, and Pearce would do nothing. Bronson Reed backed off Logan and told him that Pearce was his problem now. 

********

Nattie vs. Maxxine Dupri 

Dupri caught Nattie in an ankle lock immediately. Nattie escaped, and Dupri applied the move again outside the ring. However, Nattie booted her into the ring steps and shoved her into the ring post. Nattie dropped Dupri onto the announce table, mounted her and pounded away with right hands until the referee called for a double count-out. 

Nattie applied a sharpshooter while on the announce table as officials tried to stop her. Nattie only let go when AJ Lee ran out (to her music). 

Lee checked on Dupri and started helping her to the back when Lynch suddenly decked Lee from behind. Lynch was proud of herself. 

Match result: Nattie vs. Maxxine Dupri ended in a double count-out (1:36)

******** 

LA Knight cut a pre-promo. His focus was on taking out the Vision, and it started tonight with Theory (in their qualifying match). 

Bravo & Rayo Americano (w/ El Grande Americano) vs. Je’Von Evans & “The Original” El Grande Americano 

Je’Von Evans had a mystery partner, and the crowd popped when it was “The Original” El Grande Americano (Chad Gable). 

Evans and Gable had control but lost it during an early break. Gable made a hot tag after the break and gave the Americanos a double German suplex. However, El Grande (Ludwig Kaiser) tripped Gable off the top. 

With Gable down, Rayo came flying off the top rope, but Evans met him mid-air with an OG Cutter, which looked awesome. (I guess the director knew this was coming because they cut to a special camera angle in the middle of this live wrestling match.) 

Evans wiped out Rayo with a dive before Gable hit Bravo with a diving headbutt for the pinfall win. 

— El Grande attacked the babyfaces post-match and tried to unmask Gable, but Gable turned it around and almost unmasked Kaiser until his buddies helped him out of the ring. 

Match result: The Original El Grande Americano & Je’Von Evans defeated Bravo & Rayo Americano (7:42) 

The finishing sequence was cool, and Gable and Evans could certainly make for a great team if they wanted to go in that direction. 

******** 

Penta, Theory, and Knight cut pre-taped promos ahead of their qualifier. 

During a break, Bayley said she would beat Nattie and Asuka in a qualifier next week. She had a chance to redeem herself after what happened at WrestleMania last year. 

******** 

Saxton interviewed Gunther backstage after they showed a replay of him choking out Dragon Lee last week. Gunther knew Saxton was going to ask about Dragon, but he couldn’t care less because his focus was solely on WrestleMania. 

Saxton mentioned his qualifying match next week. Gunther was well aware. His road to WrestleMania should have been cemented when he retired Goldberg, John Cena and AJ Styles. Instead, his road to Mania starts next week. But no worry, the result would be the same, and he would walk out of Mania the new WWE Champion. 

******** 

Next week on Raw in Memphis: 

  • Elimination Chamber triple threat qualifying match: Gunther vs. Je’Von Evans vs. Dominik Mysterio 
  • Elimination Chamber triple threat qualifying match: Asuka vs. Bayley vs. Nattie 
  • AJ Lee appears 

******** 

Triple threat Elimination Chamber qualifying match: LA Knight vs. Austin Theory (w/ Paul Heyman) vs. Penta 

Even though it was a triple threat match, the lone heel Theory took control through a break, which meant the match slowed to a crawl. Knight fought back after the break and hit a neckbreaker, but Penta broke up the cover. Penta knocked Knight out of the ring before Theory gave Penta a brainbuster. 

Knight hit Theory with a slingshot shoulder tackle, clotheslined him out of the ring, and bounced his head repeatedly off the announce desk. Knight cut off a Penta dive attempt and bounced him off the table, too. 

Theory dropped Knight into the middle turnbuckle, but Knight countered a rolling dropkick into a belly-to-back suplex. Penta nailed both guys with a flying crossbody before superkicking Theory and giving Knight a slingblade. Penta gave Theory a backstabber, but Knight broke up the cover. 

Knight set up Penta for a superplex, but Theory got underneath them and brought down both men with a double powerbomb (yes, we saw essentially the same spot in the women’s triple threat earlier). Knight responded with a reverse DDT and diving elbow drop on Theory. 

Logan and Reed ran out, so Knight knocked them both off the apron. Knight went after Logan, but Reed ran over Knight and gave him an elbow drop. Logan distracted the referee (there are no DQs in this match) as Reed gave Knight a Tsunami. Pearce ran out to confront the Vision, and they were escorted up the aisle by security. 

Theory curb-stomped Knight and was about to win, but Penta broke up the cover by yanking Theory out of the ring. I thought this might be setting up a Penta win (after Knight took both a Tsunami and a curb stomp), but Theory dumped Penta over the announce desk, and that was the end of him. 

The masked man suddenly appeared, superkicked Theory and hit a curb stomp. The masked man chucked Theory back in the ring before he was chased away through the crowd by the Vision. Knight gave Theory a BFT for the pinfall win. 

Knight joins Randy Orton in the Men’s Chamber. 

Match result: LA Knight defeated Austin Theory and Penta to qualify for the Men’s Elimination Chamber (9:29) 

The show was dedicated to the memory of Jim Shank, a long-time company employee.

Roman Reigns announced for five upcoming WWE dates

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Before he faces CM Punk at WrestleMania, Roman Reigns will be appearing on several episodes of WWE Raw.

WWE sent out an announcement today advertising Reigns for five Raw episodes on the road to WrestleMania 42. He’ll be on Raw four times in March, with Reigns then set to return on Raw’s go-home show for WrestleMania in April. Here is the full list of dates:

  • Monday, March 2: Raw at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Monday, March 16: Raw at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas
  • Monday, March 23: Raw at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
  • Monday, March 30: Raw at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York
  • Monday, April 13: Raw at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California

Reigns challenging Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship was made official for WrestleMania last week after Reigns won the 2026 men’s Royal Rumble match. It’s the second straight year where Punk and Reigns are facing off in one of the main events of Mania. In 2025, they took part in a triple threat match that was won by Seth Rollins.

Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas is hosting WrestleMania 42 on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19. Before then, Punk could have one more title defense with WWE rumored to be planning Punk vs. Finn Balor for the February 28 Elimination Chamber PLE in Chicago.

WOL: Punk vs. Reigns, future of Ava character, WrestleMania

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Lance Storm is back with tons to talk about including the doom of AVA and how it will be addressed on NXT tonight, last night’s RAW with the CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns main event segment, Nick Hogan at the Performance Center, Hiromu leaving New Japan, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Dominik Mysterio returns on WWE Raw

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Dominik Mysterio, the WWE Intercontinental Champion and AAA Mega Campeon, made his return to WWE Monday Night Raw. 

Mysterio had not been seen on Raw since suffering a shoulder injury two months ago. On Monday night, he came out in street clothes with both of his championship belts, then introduced his girlfriend, Liv Morgan, the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble winner. 

Morgan then had encounters with her stablemate, Raquel Rodriguez, and Stephanie Vaquer, the WWE Women’s World Champion, but Mysterio was not involved. 

Mysterio’s next scheduled match is a defense of the AAA Mega Championship against El Hijo del Vikingo at AAA Rey de Reyes at Auditorio GNP Seguros in Puebla, Mexico, on March 14.

On December 20 of last year, Mysterio and El Grande Americano (the Ludwig Kaiser version) lost to Rey Mysterio & Rey Fenix at AAA Guerra De Titanes. The younger Mysterio suffered his injury in that match. On this past week’s AAA on Fox, it was announced he’ll be on next week’s show to confront Americano.

WWE Raw live results: Royal Rumble fallout

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: February 2, 2026
Location: Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, PA 

The Big Takeaway —

Roman Reigns will face CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42.

**********

Show Recap — 

Instead of the usual start, Raw kicked off immediately with a shot of Bron Breakker marching around ringside. He tore up the announce table and confronted the announcers, who begged off. Breakker tossed the announce table over and demanded a mic. 

Breakker entered the ring as his Vision teammates frantically made their way down. Breakker called out Adam Pearce as the Vision and Paul Heyman urged him to calm down. Breakker accused Pearce of ruining his Rumble appearance, and he threatened to ruin Raw. 

Heyman took the mic as the Vision continued to talk down Breakker. Heyman said this was all Pearce’s fault. Pearce has to approve every Visa for the trip, so he had to know who the masked man was. He also accused Pearce again of making Bron the number two entrant. 

Breakker grabbed the mic and demanded that Pearce come out. Pearce entered and was guarded by security. Pearce was in no mood for this. Pearce reminded them that the Rumble drawing was random. He said he would give Breakker a gift and let him keep his job after that piss-poor performance on Saturday. 

Breakker snapped and scrambled out of the ring (tripping over in the process because he was so upset), but he was stopped by Bronson Reed before he could try to get through security. Pearce bailed. 

LA Knight’s music hit. He appeared from the crowd and blindsided Austin Theory and Logan Paul with a steel chair. Reed chased him off. An upset Breakker went to the back.

(This was a good start to the show. The only negative was Theory and Paul got up almost right away and weren’t selling the Knight chair shots.) 

******** 

There was a Royal Rumble recap video. Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, and Gunther were shown at the arena earlier today. 

They let us know Je’Von Evans lasted the longest in the men’s Rumble match with a time of 40:58.  

Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano (w/ Bravo & Rayo Americano) 

Evans’ shoulder and ribs were taped up. He was off to a good start until he missed a Stinger splash. El Grande took over, and there was a modest, “We want Gable” chant. Evans came right back and hit a crazy leaping dive to the outside, almost flying right over El Grande. 

Evans was distracted by Rayo, so El Grande nailed a dropkick on the apron and lawn-darted him into the ring post. El Grande had control through a break, and it was really dull. (Perhaps they need to be reminded that much of the world can see what they’re doing, or not doing, during commercials.) 

Evans fought back with chops, forearms, kicks, and a satellite DDT. Evans fought out of a submission hold, and with El Grande lying on the other side of the ring, Evans went to the top and hit a senton leg drop all the way to the other side. It was a long way to go, so he didn’t quite nail it. 

Rayo distracted the referee, allowing Bravo to trip Evans off the top rope. Rayo handed El Grande the metal plate while the ref dealt with Bravo. The original El Grande Americano (Chad Gable) entered to his music and posed in the aisle. 

The distraction allowed Evans to hit a running knee strike and OG Cutter for the pinfall win. 

Match result: Je’Von Evans defeated El Grande Americano (Ludwig Kaiser) (12:30)

This match was ok. It was a bit more deliberately paced than I expected, with a lot of striking. The crowd liked Evans, but they were pretty quiet during the bulk of the match.  

********

Michael Cole announced an attendance of 13,746. 

There was a Rumble video package, this time highlighting some of the newer faces from NXT, recent callups, and Royce Keys (Powerhouse Hobbs). 

Jimmy and Jey entered during a break. Jimmy’s back after being gone for a few weeks as the company was out of the country. They issued a warning shot to Alpha Academy, who they would be defending their tag titles against next week. They shouted out Roman Reigns for winning the Royal Rumble, and that was that. 

Cole congratulated Bad Bunny and Jelly Roll on their success at the Grammy Awards. 

******** 

Gunther segment

AJ Styles’ music hit, and the crowd cheered, but Gunther excitedly walked out instead and did Styles’ pose. The crowd booed as Gunther tried to speak. Eventually, he said Styles found out what Goldberg and John Cena did. When you step in the ring with the career killer, your career and legacy die. 

Dragon Lee ran out as Gunther spoke. He attacked Gunther, nailed a great-looking suicide dive, and sent him into the ring post using a hurricanrana. 

Dragon Lee charged at Gunther while he was in the timekeeper’s area, but Gunther popped up and nailed him with the ring bell. Gunther put him in the dreaded sleeper hold until officials quickly broke it up. 

Gunther went into the ring and picked Dragon Lee up by his mask (while Lee was ringside). Gunther put him in the sleeper again, this time with Dragon dangling over the side of the ring. Officials desperately tried to pull Gunther away (including Shawn Daivari, who grabbed Gunther by the hair), but he only let go after Lee passed out. Gunther put his coat on and left. 

********

There was a replay of Reed and Logan trying to kill Knight weeks back when Reed gave him a Tsunami on top of a car. 

Heyman approached Pearce and asked him to make a match between Breakker and Knight. Pearce said no. Pearce didn’t appreciate Breakker interrupting his show. He told Heyman to escort Breakker out of the building and tell Reed he has a match against Penta. 

Heyman asked Pearce if he knew who he was talking to and in which city. (Fans chanted “ECW.”) Pearce told Heyman, “F.A.F.O” (a line Heyman used on Pearce on Saturday). Heyman chuckled, and he left. 

*******

During a break, Maxxine Dupri told Byron Saxton she was still shocked over what Nattie did. But just like there was a new Nattie, there was a new Maxxine. She beat the greatest women’s wrestler of all time to become the IC champion. This Maxxine was breaking ankles and taking names. 

She was sick and tired of being walked over. Nattie didn’t elevate her, she elevated herself. Nattie taught her how to train, but Dupri taught herself how to survive. Dupri would give Nattie a lesson next week: that no one can decimate this Maxxine. 

********

Breakker was still pissed and tossing stuff around backstage. Heyman tried to calm him down by telling him that Pearce had plenty of ammunition against him already. Breakker screamed at Heyman that he didn’t care. Breakker barged through a door and left.

Oba Femi destroys The War Raiders 

Erik and Ivar entered, presumably for a match. They were surprised upon hearing the music of Oba Femi. The announcers were surprised too, as they were expecting a tag match. 

Femi entered the ring and destroyed both guys. He gave Ivar a chokeslam and gave Erik a powerbomb. Femi posed as fans chanted his name. 

(This was a cool segment for Femi. Not so much for the other guys.) 

********

Finn Bálor video promo 

Finn Bálor said this was a business based on respect. He always gave respect in the indies and on the main roster. But he was realizing that the respect was not returned to him. He was taken for granted over and over. What happened in Belfast was not a one-off. 

He’s been showing up and showing off his entire career, but Pearce still tried to tell him the Rumble was full. It turns out, respect only gets you so far. He wanted the world title. He didn’t think of himself as a bad guy, but warned CM Punk he was willing to do bad things. 

******** 

Nikki & Brie Bella segment 

The Bellas entered. The crowd was chanting something that sounded like booing, and Nikki asked if that was for the Eagles not making it to the Super Bowl. Brie said they were probably saying “Coop,” and Nikki bragged that she had good taste. He was a pro bowler, after all. (I guess she’s dating Eagles player Cooper DeJean.) 

Nikki said the Bella twins haven’t appeared on Raw together in over seven years. Nikki shared everyone’s excitement that Brie was back. There were light “Yes” chants. 

Brie was happy to be back home. She joked that she didn’t return because Nikki was getting her butt kicked every week. She returned because they were the “original tag team.” The division was better than ever, and they wanted in. It was time for the Bella twins to go for the tag titles. 

(This was not a good promo, and this segment was a reminder as to why people don’t like the Bellas.) 

********

Otis, Akira Tozawa, and Dupri had a backstage segment with Bret Kreischer. Otis was in a good mood seeing Kreischer, but Dupri was all business. She planned on breaking Nattie’s ankle next week. Dupri left. Otis and Kreischer were excited, and Kreischer took his shirt off. 

******** 

The first hour of the show included just the one 12-minute match. The second match of the evening started a full 40 minutes later… 

Penta vs. Bronson Reed (w/ Paul Heyman, Logan Paul & Austin Theory) 

…and this match went to commercials after 2 minutes. 

Penta hit a dive ahead of the break, but it didn’t matter because Reed got the heat moments later. Like the opening match, not much happened during the break. (I guess all these guys did just fly halfway across the world.) 

Penta came back and hit a springboard tornado DDT for two. Reed hit a powerslam for two, and Penta came back with a backstabber for two. 

Theory jumped on the apron, so Penta kicked him off. Penta also knocked Logan off the apron and wiped out both guys with a dive. Penta accidentally knocked the referee out of the ring when he attacked Logan. 

Penta took too much time dealing with the Vision, so Reed hit him with a Jagged Edge (DVD) and Tsunami, but the referee was still out. 

Reed went outside and grabbed a chair, but was attacked by LA Knight, who gave him a BFT onto the chair. Knight was chased away by Logan and Theory (who quickly recovered again, as they did in the opening segment). 

Reed couldn’t get back in the ring by ten, so Penta won by count-out. 

Match result: Penta defeated Bronson Reed via count-out (12:55)

******** 

The Americanos were interviewed by Saxton during the break. This included Pete Dunne and Tyler Bate doing bad accents. 

********

Liv Morgan, Dominik Mysterio, and Raquel Rodriguez segment 

Dominik Mysterio entered. He’s back after being gone for a few weeks with an injury. His mustache is even thicker than before. The crowd chanted “Dirty Dom.” Dom said the only reason he would come back to a place like Philly was to celebrate the winner of the women’s Rumble. He introduced Liv Morgan. 

Morgan entered and jumped into Dom’s arms. The crowd chanted, “You deserve it,” (not that loud), and she responded, “I know!” Morgan said they were all in the presence of the greatest Royal Rumble winner of all time. 

Morgan wasn’t sure who she wanted to face at WrestleMania yet. She planned to attend SmackDown on Friday to assess her options. What she did know was that we were going to crown a new Women’s World Champion tonight. Morgan introduced her best friend and sister, Big Sexy Raquel Rodriguez. 

Rodriguez entered. She said Judgment Day celebrated Morgan’s big win all weekend, but they never addressed something else that happened during the Rumble. Rodriguez asked Morgan why she eliminated her from the match. 

Morgan said she knew Rodriguez wasn’t a selfish person. Rodriguez had a title opportunity, and now she did too. A win for one Judgment Day member was a win for them all. 

Rodriguez agreed with that sentiment, but told Morgan to stay in the back for her match. Beating Vaquer on her own would make winning the world title that much sweeter. Morgan was on board with this (and relieved Rodriguez didn’t seem upset with her anymore).

Philly Street Fight for the Women’s World Championship: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez 

Vaquer has new generic-sounding music, and it seems like an immediate downgrade. She also wore new gear, which included long pants. It is a street fight, after all. (Rodriguez wrestled in ripped jeans.) 

Vaquer grabbed a table early on to the crowd’s delight, but was unable to use it. Rodriguez powerbombed her through the table moments later. During a break, Rodriguez wrapped a chain around Vaquer’s previously injured ankle, dragged her around ringside and slammed her leg into the barricade and into the side of the ring. 

After the break, Rodriguez booted the steel steps into Vaquer’s ankle. Vaquer avoided a steel chair shot and attacked Rodriguez with a kendo stick. Rodriguez attacked Vaquer with the cardboard cover from the announce table, before lawn-darting her into the ring post (second time we’ve seen that spot tonight). 

Vaquer came back with a kendo stick shot and a back suplex. She set up for Devil’s Kiss, but Rodriguez powered up to her feet with Vaquer still on her shoulders and dropped her onto the top rope. Vaquer managed to respond with a thrust kick for two. Rodriguez hit Vaquer on the head with a trash can for a two count. Fans chanted for the Eagles. 

Rodriguez tossed a bunch of chairs into the ring, and Corey Graves gave Terry Funk a shout-out. Rodriguez caught Vaquer’s crossbody attempt and hit a fallaway slam onto the chairs. Vaquer avoided a corkscrew elbow drop and hit Rodriguez with Devil’s Kiss onto a steel chair. Vaquer wasn’t done there. She rolled to the outside and hit Devil’s Kiss on top of the steel steps. The previous quiet crowd chanted, “One more time.” She didn’t do it. 

During a break, Vaquer attacked with the kendo stick and chucked the trash can in Rodriguez’s face. Rodriguez fought back and wedged a chair between the turnbuckles. She also set up a table outside the ring. 

After the break, Rodriguez tried to use the steel steps as a weapon, but Vaquer ducked it and dropped her onto the steps instead. Vaquer placed the trash can over Rodriguez and hit a running meteora in the corner for two. Rodriguez booted the can into Vaquer’s face moments later for two. 

Rodriguez took her time setting up a table while the ref checked on Vaquer, who was favouring her ankle. Rodriguez tried a Tejana Bomb through the table, but Vaquer slipped out. Rodriguez hit a clothesline instead. 

19 minutes into the match, Morgan entered through the crowd and handed Rodriguez the title belt, urging her to use it as a weapon. Vaquer used the distraction to chuck Rodriguez into the wedged chair, and knocked Morgan off the apron. Roxanne Perez tried to interfere too, but Vaquer knocked her off the ropes, through the outside table. 

Vaquer set up Rodriguez for a hurricanrana off the top and through the table, but Rodriguez blocked it and set up for a powerbomb. Vaquer blocked that and hit the hurricanrana anyway. The move sent Rodriguez through the table, but it didn’t look good. 

Vaquer followed with a Spiral Tap (corkscrew splash) for the pinfall win. 

— After some replays, Morgan laid out Vaquer with an Oblivion. She posed with the title belt before dropping it onto Vaquer. 

Match result: Stephanie Vaquer defeated Raquel Rodriguez in a Philly Street Fight to retain the Women’s World Championship (21:55) 

This was mostly a good match, but it dragged at times and felt really long, and the lack of crowd reaction really brought it down. 

******** 

Next week on Raw: 

  • Maxxine Dupri vs. Nattie 
  • The Usos vs. Alpha Academy for the tag team titles 
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying matches begin 

********

Roman Reigns and CM Punk main event segment 

Roman Reigns arrived in a Range Rover (he had a driver), and he immediately made his way to the ring. Reigns said he’s had highs and lows in Philly. He won his first championship here on his daughter’s birthday, but he also lost his last championship here. He won his first Rumble here, too. (He acknowledged the fans booed him at the time.) 

He won his second Rumble on Saturday, and the next city on the schedule was Philly. This was the perfect city to be in, because he had a decision to make. He was about to pose the question of which title he should go after, but stopped as the crowd chanted for CM Punk. Reigns said, “So you don’t want me to go after Drew McIntyre?” Reigns asked if they preferred Punk, and they cheered. 

Punk entered. The crowd chanted for Punk as the two men stared each other down. Punk looked into the camera to address Finn Bálor. Punk said Bálor wasn’t sure if he was a bad guy, but Punk warned him that when he was pushed, he was the baddest guy, and he would get his hands on Bálor soon. 

Reigns was perplexed at Punk interrupting his segment to talk about Bálor. Punk said he wasn’t interrupting anything. Reigns was a visitor on his show. “I’m the champ, CM Punk, and I call the shots.” 

Punk said Reigns had a big decision to make. Punk saw that Reigns was asking for the fans’ help. He mentioned McIntyre, and the fans booed. Punk proposed Reigns vs. McIntyre at WrestleMania, and they booed again. Punk proposed Reigns vs. the best in the world, CM Punk, and they cheered. 

Punk told Reigns to take the easy way out and pick McIntyre. Reigns scoffed at the idea that McIntyre was the easy way out. McIntyre was four times Punk’s size, and the last time they fought, he had Punk crying over a little plastic bracelet. 

Punk told Reigns to be careful. The last time he wrestled McIntyre, they ran out of staples putting his dumb ass back together. Punk knew that Reigns had beaten McIntyre in the past, but Punk beat him in the most dangerous match this company had to offer, Hell in a Cell. 

Reigns said he beat McIntyre for three years straight. Punk said he did, along with all of his cousins. Reigns warned him against talking about his family. They were the only reason this company was where it was today. And the only reason Punk had a company to come back to. 

Punk said Reigns manipulated his family and a great number of people into thinking he was this great messiah who put the company on his shoulders and held it high, but all he really did was hold it hostage. Punk heard what Reigns said on Pat McAfee’s show. He laughed at the idea that Reigns took mini-vacations to give others an opportunity, and he had the audacity to say nobody stepped up during that time. 

Punk reminded Reigns that he was once champion for 434 days with Paul Heyman by his side. That must sound familiar, because Reigns followed in his footsteps and was champion with Heyman for 1300 days. Punk said he may have done it longer, but that doesn’t mean he did it better. 

Punk said Reigns earned the right to call his shot and show up when he wanted. Punk wasn’t mad about it. Reigns chose to be a part-timer. Punk chose to go to ten countries in three weeks. He chose to see the fans worldwide. He chose to go to Poland, Scotland, Denmark, Belgium, London, Toronto, and Philly. 

Punk chose to be a fighting champion, just like he chose to bring Reigns into the company along with the rest of The Shield. Reigns followed in his footsteps, and he learned from the best. 

Punk said Reigns had a decision to make. Reigns could face the guy he thinks he can beat (McIntyre), or the guy who, on Reigns’ best day, he couldn’t touch. He could face McIntyre or climb Mount Everest with no Sherpa and face the best in the world. 

Reigns said Punk made all these towns because he took a ten-year vacation and wanted to get in as much as possible. Reigns laughed at the idea that he learned from Punk. The only thing he learned from Punk was what not to do. Punk wouldn’t be here without him. 

When they re-signed Punk, they asked Reigns first. He made a promise to Paul, and he did the best he could. But he would never forget ten years ago when Punk went on his friend’s podcast and made Reigns’ life way harder than it should’ve been. Punk came back, took his wiseman, and brainwashed his cousins. Punk almost brainwashed him, too. Reigns shook his hand like a man (at Survivor Series), but Punk mocked him behind his back. 

Reigns made his choice. He could pick Punk because he was the biggest star available. He could pick Punk because he was on the “best show.” But no. 

Reigns said, “I’m picking you because I hate you. I’ve always hated you. And WrestleMania is going to be the best day of my life, because in the main event, you will acknowledge me.” 

Reigns dropped the mic and left. Punk smirked as Reigns walked away.

(This was a very good setup for WrestleMania, and they gave us plenty to chew on with the show still more than two months away. The rest of the show mostly felt like filler in front of another quiet, big city crowd.) 

Two matches added to WWE Raw lineup

Posted on by Joseph Currier

The lineup for tonight’s post-Royal Rumble episode of WWE Raw has a couple of new additions.

WWE has announced that Penta vs. Bronson Reed and Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano will both take place on Raw tonight. The show is being held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

The Penta vs. Reed match will continue the storyline of Penta trying to dismantle The Vision, who are looking to get back on the right track after all four members came up short at the Royal Rumble. The match included Vision member Bron Breakker entering at number two and being taken out by a mystery attacker.

Evans and Americano faced off on Raw a couple of weeks ago, but the match ended in a referee stoppage due to it being feared that Evans had suffered a concussion. Evans was checked out by medical personnel after the match and was determined to be okay.

There were two El Grande Americanos in the men’s Rumble on Saturday as Chad Gable returned in the gimmick that he originally portrayed. Ludwig Kaiser took over the character after Gable was sidelined with a shoulder injury last year.

Here is the updated card for Raw tonight:

WWE Raw (Monday, February 2) —

  • Philly Street Fight: Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • Men’s Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns appears
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan appears
  • Penta vs. Bronson Reed
  • Je’Von Evans vs. El Grande Americano

Royal Rumble winners to appear on WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Roman Reigns and Liv Morgan, this year’s Royal Rumble winners, are both set to make appearances on WWE Raw tonight.

WWE has officially added segments with Reigns and Morgan to the lineup for tonight’s post-Royal Rumble edition of Raw in Philadelphia. Neither has officially revealed which champion they’ll be facing at WrestleMania, but their appearances tonight will continue the build toward that happening.

“Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns is set to return to Raw,” WWE.com wrote. “Will The OTC decide which World Champion he will challenge at WrestleMania? Find out tonight on Raw at 8e/5p on Netflix.”

Morgan’s appearance tonight will be to celebrate her Rumble victory.

“After outlasting 29 other Superstars and eliminating her Judgment Day ally Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan returns to Raw,” WWE.com’s announcement says. “Morgan has now earned the right to headline WrestleMania against a Women’s Champion. Don’t miss all the action, tonight on Raw at 8e/5p on Netflix.”

Reigns facing World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk looks to be the direction for WrestleMania. As for Morgan, tension within Judgment Day could continue to build based on the result of tonight’s Women’s World Championship match. Rodriguez is challenging Stephanie Vaquer for the title in a Philly Street Fight.

WWE Raw (Monday, February 2) —

  • Philly Street Fight: Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer defends against Raquel Rodriguez
  • Men’s Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns appears
  • Women’s Royal Rumble winner Liv Morgan appears

WOL: Rumble odds, RAW, Mysterio injury, Impact ratings

Posted on by Bryan Alvarez

Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez is back today with tons to talk about including the Royal Rumble odds which are in fact odd, RAW from Monday night, the weird Finn Balor thing, Rey Mysterio’s injury, Je’Von Evans’ injury, TNA ratings, and tons more! A fun show as always so check it out~!

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Update on Rey Mysterio after WWE Raw injury

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Not much is known about the injury Rey Mysterio suffered on WWE Raw last night, but the early signs are trending optimistic.

Our Dave Meltzer notes that he’s heard Mysterio’s injury is “not serious.” There’s no further indication of what that means yet, nor is there any word on whether Mysterio will be sidelined by the injury. Mysterio has been among the entrants scheduled to compete in the men’s Royal Rumble match in Saudi Arabia this Saturday, so there should be more information regarding his status in the coming days.

Mysterio was facing Austin Theory on Raw last night when the injury happened. The exact issue is not known, but — after finishing the match — the referee had to get Mysterio out of the way during an angle where The Vision (Theory, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and Logan Paul) beat down Dragon Lee and Penta. The ref put up the “X” signal, calling for medical attention as Mysterio clutched at his ribs/arm. There was also a moment during the match where Mysterio appeared to be limping.

The last spot in the match was a stomp where Theory got the victory after Mysterio was distracted by The Vision brawling with Lee and Penta.

Mysterio, 51, spent several months out of action in 2025 after suffering a torn groin in April prior to WrestleMania 41. He’s been back in the ring since November.

CM Punk shares heartfelt moment with AJ Styles after WWE Raw

Posted on by Joseph Currier

After WWE Raw went off the air last night, CM Punk and AJ Styles shared a heartfelt moment in front of the Toronto fans.

A World Heavyweight Championship match between Punk and Styles headlined Monday night’s show, ending in a disqualification when Finn Balor interrupted. It was Punk and Styles’ first time facing each other in a one-on-one match in more than two decades. Though they’ve had their issues in the past, the two have gotten over that and have developed a mutual respect for each other.

Punk and Styles spoke to the crowd after Monday’s broadcast ended, and Punk expressed appreciation for his former rival as Styles approaches what could be his final weekend as an active wrestler.

“Look, I don’t know what happens in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia when AJ Styles takes on Gunther. I just know that I’m going to be glued to the monitor watching just like all of you,” Punk said. “And I mean this when I say it. AJ, I whispered it to you earlier, I don’t care who knows it publicly — it has been a privilege to know you. It’s a privilege to call you a friend. It’s an honor to be in the ring with you. I speak as a fan, I hope Saturday’s not it. But if it is, man, what a hell of a career. I love you, brother. Thank you.”

Styles has confirmed that he will retire at some point in 2026. His final match could happen at the Royal Rumble this Saturday, with Styles agreeing to put his career on the line against Gunther at the PLE.

With the result of last night’s match, Punk heads into Royal Rumble weekend still holding the World Heavyweight Championship. The men’s Rumble match could potentially determine his WrestleMania 42 challenger.

New top contenders to WWE World Tag Team titles crowned

Posted on by Vincent Verhei

Alpha Academy—the team of Otis and Akira Tozawa—are your new top contenders to the WWE World Tag Team Championships after winning a four-way match on Monday Night Raw.

After a chaotic sequence that included Jey Uso superkicking Grayson Waller at ringside, Otis slammed Julius Creed onto his brother, Brutus, then tagged in Tozawa. Tozawa hit Julius Creed with a senton off the top rope and pinned him. 

The New Day and Rayo & Bravo Americano were the other two teams in the match, along with Alpha Academy and the Creed Brothers. No date was given for when Alpha Academy would receiver their championship match against the Usos.

Otis and Tozawa first teamed up in November of 2023 as members of the Alpha Academy faction alongside Chad Gable and Maxxin Dupri. They teamed frequently in 2024 and 2025, usually on Raw or Main Event. They had won five of their last six matches going into Monday night. They have never had a championship match as a team, falling short in three previous matches or tournaments with title matches at stake. 

Full Raw results are available here.

WWE Raw live results: Royal Rumble go-home show in Toronto

Posted on by Steve Khan

Date: January 26, 2026
Location: Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON 

The Big Takeaway —

CM Punk and AJ Styles had their first WWE singles match, and it was for the World Heavyweight Championship. It ended in a DQ. Finn Bálor attacked Punk and laid him out, solidifying him as a heel again. 

Bron Breakker’s suspension has been lifted, and he will enter the Men’s Royal Rumble. The entire Vision will join him, and they’ve made it clear their goal is for Breakker to win. Adam Pearce granted them all a spot in the match, which seemed to surprise Paul Heyman. So there’s more to come there. 

This has not been a particularly strong build to the Royal Rumble, particularly the Rumble matches themselves. Nobody came off like a strong contender except Bron Breakker and maybe Rhea Ripley.

**********

Show Recap — 

There were shots of the stadium being built in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ahead of Saturday’s Royal Rumble, followed by a shot of fans lined up outside Scotiabank Arena in my hometown of snowy Toronto for Raw. 

Stephanie Vaquer, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods (getting their hair done), The Vision (including Bron Breakker) were shown at the arena earlier today. 

Michael Cole claimed Scotiabank Arena was sold out with an attendance of 17,853. 

AJ Styles kicks off Raw in Toronto

Styles entered to a big ovation. He said Gunther claimed he would end his career at the Rumble. That was Gunther’s plan, but Styles didn’t plan on going anywhere. (There was a light, “F—k you, Gunther,” chant.)  

Styles acknowledged that 2026 would be the year that he retired. He wasn’t saying that to upset anyone—he was saying it so they could enjoy it together. John Cena showed him how he could say goodbye. 2025 was Cena’s year, and there was no reason 2026 couldn’t be his. 

There were men in locker rooms all over the world that he would love to wrestle one more time. (Interesting phrasing.) He also wanted to be world champion one more time. 

CM Punk entered to a big reaction. Punk said he’s known Styles for more than 20 years. They’ve been friends and enemies, but there was nothing but respect between them now. (Styles agreed.) 

Punk didn’t understand what he was doing by putting his career on the line against Gunther. Guys like them still had a lot left in the tank, and the stakes on Saturday were too high. Styles accused Punk of thinking that he couldn’t beat Gunther. 

Punk wasn’t saying that. He knew Styles could beat Gunther, but the last time they wrestled, Styles did not get his hand raised. And if Styles did retire, that meant the two of them never got to wrestle one-on-one in WWE. (They wrestled in a three-way with Chad Gable last year.)

Styles knew what Punk meant (about facing Gunther), but thought he was being disrespectful. Styles had an idea, and the crowd chanted, “Fight tonight.” Styles told Punk, “I know I can beat Gunther, and I know I can beat you.” Punk said Styles can’t prove that if he loses on Saturday. They both looked around at the crowd. 

Styles said if they did fight tonight, and he won, he should be number one contender for the title after he beats Gunther. Punk said if they were going to wrestle tonight in Toronto, it would be for the belt. Everyone cheered. Punk made the match, and they shook hands.

(Punk vs. Styles for the title was made official during the next match.)

******** 

There was a video package recapping Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Six-woman tag team match: Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer & Women’s Tag Team Champions Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY vs. Raquel Rodriguez, Liv Morgan & Roxanne Perez

The Judgment Day women all wore matching black-and-red gear. Ripley came out to a huge pop, and the crowd sang Iyo Sky’s name as the match began. 

Vaquer entered to a modest applause and went to work on Morgan, but her Devil’s Kiss attempt was broken up by Rodriguez, which upset the fans. Morgan had actually tagged out to Rodriguez moments earlier, but Vaquer didn’t see it because she was distracted by Perez. The referee did see it, but made no attempt to get Morgan out of the ring besides yelling vaguely at her. She remained in the ring for well over 10 seconds before Rodriguez got in. 

Judgment Day maintained control over Vaquer throughout a break. Morgan yanked Sky off the apron, while Rodriguez attacked Ripley from behind. The referee was ok with all of this. 

Vaquer finally did make a hot tag to Sky, who hit Perez with uppercuts, a flying dropkick, and a corner meteora. Morgan saved Perez from a moonsault, but Sky followed with a butterfly backbreaker. Morgan distracted the ref by messing up the ring skirt while Perez raked Sky’s eyes. Perez and Morgan hit a combo Russian leg sweep/Codebreaker for two. 

Sky made the next hot tag to Ripley, who gave Morgan a Razor’s Edge into Rodriguez. Ripley blocked a Pop Rox and clobbered Perez with a clothesline. Ripley followed with a missile dropkick to Rodriguez (who was in the ring a long time despite not being legal, but this referee obviously does not care). 

Morgan fought back with a tornado DDT on Ripley, but Sky broke up the cover. Everyone traded moves until Vaquel wiped out Rodriguez with a diving splash to the outside. 

Morgan went for Oblivion, but Ripley blocked it. Perez had made a blind tag, and they tried their combo move again, but Sky wiped out Morgan with a flying dropkick. Ripley finished off Perez with a Rip-tide for the pinfall win. 

The three winners celebrated. (Corey Graves noted that Vaquer was limping by the end of the match, which was the same injury she’s been selling the past several weeks.) 

Match result: Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY & Stephanie Vaquer defeated Roxanne Perez, Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodriguez (12:54)

A fun TV match despite the dumb referee. Ripley was the most over person in the match, and she got another win ahead of the Rumble, where she’ll be one of the favourites. 

********

There was a dramatic recap of Punk successfully defending his title over Finn Bálor last week in Belfast. 

Bálor approached Punk backstage. Bálor initially seemed in a bad mood after coming up short last week, but said Punk was part of the most memorable night of his career. Punk picked him up after the match and gave him his flowers, but Bálor didn’t return the favour, so he will now. Bálor thanked him. 

Punk thanked him, too. Punk said he couldn’t be the best in the world unless he beat the best. Punk considered Bálor one of the greats, and he earned the shot. Cena was gone, and there weren’t a lot of guys like them left. Punk advised him that he might want to ditch Judgment Day if he really wanted to be champion. Punk told him to win the Rumble, and maybe he’d see him again. Punk left, and Bálor nodded. 

********

There’s a commercial specifically for the special Triple H edition of WWE 2K26. I’m not even sure they’ve advertised the actual game yet. 

Bron Breakker and Adam Pearce face-to-face 

The Vision entered. Paul Heyman did his usual bit, called Toronto a second-rate city, and introduced each member of The Vision. Logan Paul got a lot of heat, of course. Heyman gave special attention to Bron Breakker. 

Heyman noted that Breakker was there because Adam Pearce wanted a face-to-face, but Heyman wanted to examine why this was happening first. Heyman showed a replay of Pearce putting his hands on Breakker first (before Breakker tried to kill him). Heyman said that was not appropriate behaviour for the Raw general manager. Heyman also showed a replay of Rey Mysterio pinning Austin Theory last week, thanks to Pearce planting the brass knuckles on the apron. 

Pearce entered. He admitted that things got out of hand, and he put his hands on Breakker first. He apologized. Breakker laughed. Pearce pledged to them all that it would not happen again. Pearce knew what Heyman was going to say next, and he already made it official: Breakker’s suspension was over, and he was in the Royal Rumble match. 

Heyman was happy and asked for a handshake. Pearce called Heyman a master negotiator, so he willingly entered Logan Paul, Bronson Reed and Austin Theory into the Rumble. Heyman was caught off guard by this. Pearce also knew that Theory felt cheated after last week, so he put him in a match against Rey Mysterio—tonight. 

When the segment was over, all members of The Vision were happy, while Heyman was confused. Cole did not know what to make of Pearce’s decision. 

Austin Theory (w/ The Vision) vs. Rey Mysterio (w/ Penta & Dragon Lee)

Theory held control with a chin lock and tried to get some heat by going for Rey’s mask, but the crowd didn’t bite. The fight spilled to the outside, and Rey sent Theory flying into the ring post. As the outside parties argued, Rey hit Theory with a seated senton off the barricade. Rey smacked Reed’s head before heading back into the ring. 

This led to a second commercial break (the match started during a break), so about 5 of the first 8 and a half minutes of the match happened during commercials. 

Rey went after Theory outside the ring, but Theory dumped him onto the ring steps and placed him in another rest hold in the ring, just long enough to bring us back from break. Rey tried a springboard crossbody, but Theory nailed him with a mid-air forearm and an Ataxia (flatliner variation) for two. 

Dragon Lee checked on Rey outside the ring, so Logan shoved him. Penta superkicked Logan. Dragon Lee tried to take out Reed, but Reed caught him and drove him into the barricade before Logan yanked Penta off the apron. 

Rey kicked Logan, but the distraction allowed Theory to hit the ring with a curb stomp for the pinfall win. 

— Breakker attacked Penta and Dragon Lee after the match, and The Vision laid out the two men. Paul gave Dragon Lee a frog splash, while Breakker speared Penta, and Reed finished off Penta with a Tsunami. 

(Notably, it seemed like they were trying to set up Rey for a spear, but the referee frantically got between them and got Rey out of the ring. So perhaps after taking the curb stomp, they wanted to be safe with Rey.) 

Match result: Logan Paul defeated Rey Mysterio (11:23) 

This was a nothing match just to get Theory a win, finally. 

It turns out Rey may have gotten injured, so hopefully it isn’t serious. He seemed fine all match until they got him out of the ring for the post-match angle. 

*******

There was a Natalya video promo. She said she made Maxxine Dupri, but Dupri failed. Dupri didn’t fail herself, she failed Natalya. Rolling with a legend didn’t mean she could roll like a legend. There was a whole new Natalya, and when she was done with Dupri, was coming for it all (the IC title). “Because Natalya elevates, but Nattie decimates.”

Rodriguez marched around backstage, loudly screaming for Vaquer. Bayley was nearby and called her an idiot because she (Bayley) was on the phone. Lyra Valkyria got between them, so Rodriguez continued on her way until she was attacked by Vaquer. Officials quickly separated them. 

Byron Saxton interviewed Je’Von Evans during a break. Evans made the mistake of wearing a Boston Red Sox toque, so he was greeted with a “Let’s go Blue Jays” chant. Evans’ goal was to main event WrestleMania, which first meant winning the Rumble. He declared himself for the match. 

********

Gunther sit-down interview 

Cole interviewed Gunther in the Toronto Raptors locker room. Gunther said he agreed to Saturday’s match because he had something to gain by ending Styles’ career. He was sick of the old-timers overstaying their welcome, chasing one moment after another. Those moments belonged to him. 

Goldberg chased after a moment, but Gunther took it away. Cena chased moments for a full year, but all anyone would talk about now was that he gave up to him in his last match. Now, Styles had this idea of a long, emotional farewell tour, but Gunther wasn’t interested. 

Gunther noted that Cole was an old-timer, too. He asked Cole how long he planned on sticking around chasing a moment. He could kick the chair out and end Cole’s career right now, but he told Cole not to worry. Gunther wanted Cole at ringside on Saturday so he could say the career of the Phenomenal AJ Styles was over. 

This was really good. 

********

Bálor approached Pearce to declare himself for the Rumble. Pearce said Bálor already had his shot at the title last week, so he filled Bálor’s Rumble spot with someone else. He said the Rumble was full. Bálor said the Rumble couldn’t be full without him. Pearce reiterated that the match was full. Bálor left while contemplating what to do next. 

Morgan confronted Bálor. She accused Punk of giving him a participation trophy, and Bálor thanked him for it. She heard Punk say he should leave Judgment Day, but Punk didn’t really want him to be champion, while his family in Judgment Day did. Bálor said this wasn’t as straightforward as she thought. He said he would take care of it. 

********

Jey Uso entered ahead of a break to watch the next match. (No Jimmy again. They are in Canada, after all. Cole said he was dealing with personal issues.) Jey tried to run back his entrance music, but was cut off by American Made. 

Scottie Barnes was shown in the crowd, and he got a nice ovation.

Fatal four-way to determine tag team title number one contenders: The New Day (w/ Grayson Waller) vs. Alpha Academy vs. American Made (w/ Ivy Nile) vs. Los Americanos 

It doesn’t say much about the tag division (or more specifically, having two sets of tag titles) that this was the field to determine number one contenders. 

During a break, Xavier Woods confronted Cole at the desk and loudly told him, “I am Xavier, and that’s Kofi. Get it right from here on out!” Cole responded, “What was that all about?”  

The crowd didn’t react to anything until Otis got in, and then they were into it. (Amazing Otis can have this effect after all this time of being a background character.) Otis hit a Caterpillar elbow, but the cover was broken up. Everyone attacked Otis, so Akira Tozawa made the stave and hit Bravo Americano with a German suplex. Tozawa then wiped out all three teams with suicide dives. 

Tozawa set up Kingston for a diving senton, but Woods distracted the referee, so Waller tripped Tozawa. The referee admonished Waller until Jey superkicked Waller over the barricade. 

Otis beat up the other teams single-handedly and slammed Julius onto Brutus. Tozawa followed with a diving senton on Julius for the pinfall win. 

Alpha Academy will face The Usos for the tag titles. Jey bumped fists with Otis and Tozawa post-match. 

Match result: Akira Tozawa & Otis defeated American Made, Los Americanos & The New Day (10:53)

******** 

Jackie Redmond, wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jacket, interviewed Becky Lynch. Lynch called her win last week monumental, but Redmond wouldn’t know anything about monumental wins wearing a jacket like that. 

Lynch noted Natalya went after the match. Lynch understood, because Natalya trained Dupri from nothing, and she remained nothing. She compared it to training loser Lyra. Now Natalya was coming after her title, but Natalya would have to win the Rumble first, and that was laughable. 

Lynch said she was entering the Rumble match. Kairi Sane and Asuka interrupted. Sane said Lynch would not win the Rumble because Asuka would, and Lynch was not ready. Lynch said she was ready because she’s already beaten Asuka. Sane tried to explain this to Asuka, who was standing right there. Asuka cut her off and told Lynch she would see her in the Rumble. 

******* 

Je’Von Evans approached Styles as he warmed up. Evans hoped to see him after Saturday. Styles shook his hand. (Evans turned his hat around to hide the Red Sox logo.) 

Elsewhere, Vaquer told Pearce she didn’t want a match against Rodriguez—she wanted a fight. Pearce made a street fight for the title next week in Philadelphia. 

******** 

Royal Rumble card (start time 2 pm ET/11 am PT): 

  • AJ Styles vs. Gunther with Styles’ career on the line 
  • Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Sami Zayn for the WWE Championship 
  • 30 Woman Royal Rumble match 
  • 30 Man Royal Rumble match 

********

The Vision met backstage to discuss what their plan was now that they were all in the Rumble. Logan got up and said they should go into the match with one goal and one vision. He said they should ensure a victory for one man: Bron Breakker. Reed and Theory were both in full agreement. (Breakker had no discernible reaction to this.) 

******** 

There was an Oba Femi video package. He will be in the Rumble. 

World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. AJ Styles

There were modest duelling chants as they got started, and each man went for their finishers early on, but a series of counters led to Styles applying a cradle for two. Punk got the better of their next exchange and hit Styles with an elbow and chop to the upper back. Styles came back with a dropkick. Punk fell outside, and Styles nailed a sliding knee. 

Styles was in control through a break until Punk whipped him hard into the corner after the break. The crowd chanted for tables. Punk followed with a neckbreaker, a lifting knee strike, a bulldog, and a shining wizard for two. Styles came back with a series of strikes, a running forearm, and a corner splash, but Punk fired right back with a clothesline for two. 

Styles blocked a GTS and followed with a fireman’s carry neckbreaker for two. Punk knocked Styles off the middle turnbuckle and hit a flying elbow drop for two. Punk immediately applied an Anaconda Vice until Styles countered out of it. Styles tried setting up for a Styles Clash, but Punk drove him into the turnbuckles. 

Punk tried a shining wizard again, but Styles caught him and set up a Styles Clash. Punk avoided it again, so Styles dumped him from the ring. Punk blocked a sliding knee and hit a GTS (outside the ring). Punk initially tried getting Styles into the ring, but it was taking too long, so Punk slipped back into the ring at an eight count, while Styles got in at nine. 

Styles was down selling, and Punk wasn’t sure what to do next, so Styles suddenly caught him in a Styles Clash for a nearfall. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, but Punk knocked him off the top rope. They exchanged strikes until Styles hit a Pelé Kick. 

Styles tried setting up the Clash again before Punk got him on his shoulders to try a GTS. Styles held the top rope, and as the two men struggled for position, Finn Bálor suddenly popped in the ring and dropkicked Punk into the corner (knocking Styles out of the ring) for the DQ. 

Bálor dropkicked Punk into the barricade and gave him a Coup de Grace in the ring. Punk rolled to his side, so Bálor hit the Coup de Grace again, this time on his ribs. Bálor hit the move one more time and stood tall as the show ended. 

Match result: CM Punk vs. AJ Styles ended in a disqualification — Punk retains the World Heavyweight Championship (18:11)

Updated WWE Raw lineup: Natalya segment added

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Following last week’s heel turn, Natalya will be on WWE Raw tonight to explain her actions.

WWE has announced that Natalya will address her betrayal of Maxxine Dupri on tonight’s show. Dupri had been Natalya’s protege, training with her in real life and aligning with her on WWE programming. But that partnership came to an end last Monday when Natalya cost Dupri a chance to regain the Women’s Intercontinental Championship from Becky Lynch.

“One week after shockingly betraying Maxxine Dupri and costing her protege a chance to win the Women’s Intercontinental Title from Becky Lynch, Natalya will address the WWE Universe,” WWE announced. “Don’t miss all the action of Raw, tonight at 8e/5p on Netflix.”

Along with costing her the IC title match, Natalya beat down Dupri and only stopped the attack once an official was able to finally pull her away. Bringing a more aggressive side of her character to WWE television, like she showed last week, is something Natalya has been hoping to do for a long time.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada is hosting Raw tonight, with the episode serving as Raw’s go-home show for this Saturday’s Royal Rumble PLE in Saudi Arabia.

Here is the updated Raw lineup:

WWE Raw (Monday, January 26) —

  • Bron Breakker will discuss his suspension with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce
  • World Tag Team title number one contender’s match: New Day vs. The Creed Brothers vs. Otis & Akira Tozawa vs. Rayo & Bravo Americano
  • AJ Styles appears ahead of his career-threatening match against Gunther at Royal Rumble
  • Gunther interview
  • Natalya addresses her heel turn

Logan Paul responds to ‘banned from Japan’ WWE Raw chants

Posted on by Joseph Currier

On a new episode of his vlog, Logan Paul responded to the chants he received on WWE Raw in Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The Belfast crowd taunted Paul on Monday by chanting that he was “banned from Japan,” a reference to the 2017-2018 controversy where Paul received massive criticism for uploading a YouTube video containing footage of a suicide victim at Japan’s Aokigahara forest. Paul took down that video after receiving backlash and posted a new video in January 2018 apologizing for what he had done.

“Bro, I’m not even banned from Japan, like officially,” Paul said on his vlog. “Like, in an official way. How did a room full of absolute morons concoct such a brilliant chant? I’m not banned from Japan. What the f***, bro? I’m actually not.”

Paul has yet to appear at any WWE events in Japan since joining the company, though he’s expressed that he would like to do so. So far, WWE has only held house shows in Japan during Paul’s tenure. There have not been any TV shows or PLEs.

Monday’s Raw in Belfast included a six-man tag match where Paul, Bronson Reed & Austin Theory lost to Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee & Penta. Paul, Reed, and Theory are members of The Vision in WWE along with Bron Breakker and their manager Paul Heyman.