The first “WWE Raw” of 2026 attempted to hit the reset button and make a major statement on Monday, as a stacked night of in-ring action rolled into Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. Following Friday’s three-hour “SmackDown,” Monday night’s program came loaded with championship stakes, top-tier star power and the kind of matchups designed to set the tone for January’s road to the Royal Rumble.
However plenty remains uncertain as the big, annual PLE draws near.
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CM Punk headlined the night with a high-profile defense of his World Heavyweight Championship against The Vision’s Bron Breakker. In doing so, Punk successfully defied the odds in his first defense since he won the belt at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Breakker dominated nearly the entire first half of the match before The Vision came to his aid and was run off by Rey Mysterio, Penta and Dragon Lee. After that, the match smashed WWE’s drama button and delivered in a huge way, utilizing great surprise submission exchanges and near-falls. Ultimately, Punk avoided a Breakker spear to land the GTS for the win, likely moving him toward the Royal Rumble with the belt around his waist.
Breakker winning felt like it’d be the perfect way to give “WWE Raw” a fresh start in the new year. Instead, he’ll have to regain steam, whether in the Rumble or otherwise.
The Women’s World Championship wasn’t on the line in 2026’s “Raw” kickoff, but the titleholder, Stephanie Vaquer, suffered a beatdown from Raquel Rodriguez that put her status in question after a real ankle injury. This was just the icing atop a show that heavily featured the women’s division.
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“Raw” opened with the Women’s Tag Team Championship match, where the Kabuki Warriors — Asuka and Kairi Sane — dropped their titles against rivals, Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky. As per usual, the combination of all four wrestlers made for another excellent match and a proper stamp on their feud. “RhIyo” is an awesome pair to have as champions, and they continued to show why in a solid opening match.
In the Women’s Intercontinental Championship trilogy match, Maxxine Dupri also lost her title against Becky Lynch. The new champion regained the title with a fun counter-sequence, ultimately cheating by holding onto the ropes mid-pin. Dupri’s short reign suddenly feels like a waste after how she was getting presented immediately after her coronation. Hopefully the title change is a brief story beat to further elevate Dupri — she could use the status much more than Lynch, who has started to tread water after she and Seth Rollins lost to Punk and AJ Lee.
Liv Morgan defeated Lyra Valkyria in the last of the four matches on “Raw” — but not without goofy distraction help, thanks to Bayley and Roxanne Perez outside the ring. Aside from Rodriguez’s attack, this was the only time Judgment Day was featured on the show, which feels like an all-time low.
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The first “Raw” of 2026 received the PLE treatment and breezed by with a good focus on wrestling and standout main event, but underdelivered in the surprise and overall quality department.
WWE Raw crown score: 👑 5/10 👑
WWE Raw Uncrowned Awards
MVP of the Night: Bron Breakker
Breakker has been put in a great spot to shine since Rollins’ injury. Although he lost clean to Punk, Breakker was booked strongly in tonight’s match and hit all the right beats — except for a Frankensteiner botch. He’s clearly the future and arguably should have won the title here. Regardless, his coronation is inevitable.
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Uncrowned Gem of the Night: Iyo Sky and Corey Graves
Sky is just the best. Plain and simple. However, this is a very specific Uncrowned Gem, as she and commentator Corey Graves paid homage to the recently retired legend, Hiroshi Tanahashi. Sky, after hitting Tanahashi’s moves in the ring, received the shoutout from Graves, making for a great moment we never would have gotten with a certain former WWE CEO in charge.
Match of the Night: CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker
This was never going to be a question. WWE clearly put all the show’s focus on making sure the main event delivered. While Punk and Breakker’s chemistry still feels a bit questionable, at least throughout an entire match, the late crescendo was pretty magnificent. Everything after the overbooked appearances was gripping and resulted in the rare clean “Raw” headliner finish.
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Best Spot of the Night: Breakker’s top-rope dive to Punk through the announcers’ table
Breakker simply hit the bull’s-eye on his top-rope dive through Punk. It doesn’t seem fair for a big guy like him to nail moves like this.
WWE Raw full card results and highlights:
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World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c.) def. Bron Breakker — 👑 Crown Score: 4.25/5 👑
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Liv Morgan def. Lyra Valkyria – 👑 Crown Score: 2.75/5 👑
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Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch def. Maxxine Dupri (c.) — 👑 Crown Score: 2/5 👑
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Women’s Tag Team Championship: Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky def. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c.) — 👑 Crown Score: 3.25/5 👑
World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c.) def. Bron Breakker
Liv Morgan def. Lyra Valkyria
Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch def. Maxxine Dupri (c.)
Women’s Tag Team Championship: Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky def. The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c.)
Recap “WWE Raw” with Uncrowned’s live blog
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
Breakker climbs to the top rope with Punk near the announce table and dives onto him! What a great spot. They nailed it. Breakker picks up the champion to drag him to the ring. He removes the straps, goes for a Spear, and eats a knee. Punk hits the GTS! He gets the pin! Wow. That was a pretty dramatic finish. Wild.
👑 Match crown score: 4.25/5 👑
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
Breakker teases stealing the GTS. He gets Punk up. Punk counters to lock on an STF in the middle of the ring! Breakker gets to the rope. Punk drags him back to the middle, then gets distracted by Heyman again. Punk punches Heyman and avoids a Breakker Spear through the ropes. Punk goes for a big suicide dive and gets punched, falling to the floor. That was not a soft landing.
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Drake Riggs
Punk hits a Piledriver! Breakker kicks out again! We need the Pepsi Plunge, my guy.
Instead, Punk sets up a GTS, Breakker counters with an Armbar! The Fujiwara! MJF feud callbacks! Punk reverse to roll-up Breakker! He escapes to keep the submission locked! Punk rolls out and locks on Anaconda Vice! They meet face to face, as Breakker stands and gets Punk into a Gut Buster, then a big Clotheseline! Punk kicks out again. Sheesh.
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
All the outsiders brawl into the crowd. Breakker lines up the Spear inside the ring. Punk avoids it, ramming Breakker into the post and hitting the GTS! He kicks out!
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Drake Riggs
From their knees, they strike their way to their feet. Punk gets the better of the exchange, ending it with a heel kick and a Neckbreaker. Punk lands the knee in the corner and goes up to the top rope for another Elbow Drop. Teasing the GTS, Punk gets distracted by Paul Heyman, who jumped on the apron, then out comes The Vision, of course. Who possibly saw that coming?
Breakker drives Punk into the ref to take him out, and Theory hits a stomp. The referee returns to count the pin, and Punk kicks out!
To even the odds, Penta, Dragon Lee and Mysterio come out. Overbooking city.
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Drake Riggs
Botch time! Breakker went for a Frankensteiner, but completely missed Punk’s shoulders, landing on his head. That looked painful. Punk turned it into an Elbow Drop to no avail. Despite the botch, they set the exact same sequence up again. Like, come on, WWE. They really don’t allow improv anymore, do they?
At least Breakker hit the move this time. With Punk in his crosshairs, he lifts Punk for a Military Press. Punk counters with a DDT
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
Breakker goes to rush around the ring and drill Punk, but the champion counters with a lunging clothesline.
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Drake Riggs
Punk starts to fight back with some windmill chops and goes for a GTS. Breakker gets out of it to plant Punk back on the mat. Breakker brings Punk to his feet and starts taking more strikes. A hard Irish Whip to the corner drops Punk, and is followed by a big knee. This is one-way traffic. That’s until a random surge from Punk, going for the GTS again. He gets countered into a Gut Buster. Punk kicks out, then is tossed out of the ring.
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Drake Riggs
Commercial break ends, but Breakker doesn’t. While Raw was away, Breakker hit Punk with Break-Neck Speed. Meanwhile, Michael Cole compares Breakker to Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar. Foreshadowing, maybe?
Breakker slingshots Punk into the bottom rope. Punk rallies with some chops and forearms, only to get scoop slammed. Breakker launches Punk over his shoulder like nothing, walking around the ring like he’s playing with his food.
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Drake Riggs
They lock up early, as Punk finds some headlocks to bring Breakker to the mat and do technical work. Punk goes after the arm and hits a quick Fireman’s Carry. He goes for a Thesz Press, but Breakker counters with a side slam.
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
Main event time, folks. Looking at the clock, it looks like these gentlemen are about to get some time to work, barring any end-of-match surprises. It’s difficult to imagine a Vision match without interferences and overbooking, but we found out momentarily. It’s CM Punk’s first World Heavyweight Championship defense of this reign, taking on Bron Breakker.
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Drake Riggs
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Drake Riggs
