‘WWE Raw’ Review (Jan 5th 2026)
Welcome to our review of this past Monday’s episode of WWE Raw, right here on Nerdly! Let’s see what went down on this week’s show…
Match #1: Women’s Tag Team Championship – Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY def. The Kabuki Warriors
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
In the final moments an explosive opening showdown, Rhea Ripley blasted Asuka with Riptide. IYO SKY quickly followed with Over the Moonsault before diving through the ropes to take out Kairi Sane. As she did, The Eradicator pinned The Empress of Tomorrow to earn the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Women’s Intercontinental Championship -Becky Lynch def. Maxxine Dupri
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Becky Lynch used the ropes as leverage to pick up the controversial pin over Maxxine Dupri and reclaim the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, a blemish on an otherwise epic title clash between the two rivals.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #3: Liv Morgan def. Lyra Valkyria
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
An altercation between Bayley and Roxanne Perez outside the ring allowed Liv Morgan to hit Oblivion on Lyra Valkyria for the win.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: World Heavyweight Championship – CM Punk def. Bron Breakker
The following is courtesy of wwe.com:
Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee and Penta neutralized The Vision, resulting in a true one-on-one title fight between World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Bron Breakker.
In the final moments, Breakker leaped from the top rope and onto Punk on the announce table. When The Bad Ass got the titleholder back in the ring for a potential final Spear, however, Punk countered with the knee before hitting the Go to Sleep to retain the World Heavyweight Championship in one of the greatest challenges of his career.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- Je’von Evans officially joined the Raw roster
Final Verdict: 3/5
Overall, this week’s Raw was a solid, if unspectacular, effort that leaned more on star power than genuine surprises. The Women’s Tag Title change was a strong opener, with Ripley and SKY delivering the kind of big-match energy you expect from that pairing, while Punk vs. Breakker in the main event felt suitably high-stakes and capped the night with authority. Elsewhere, though, the middle of the card struggled to rise above “perfectly fine,” with Becky’s controversial win and Liv’s opportunistic victory both feeling more storyline-driven than truly memorable. Je’von Evans joining the roster added a nice bit of forward momentum, but taken as a whole, this was a dependable episode rather than a must-see one – enjoyable in the moment, just not one that’ll be talked about for long. And the less said about the Stranger Things collab the better!
