Fun fact: CM Punk set to defend World Heavyweight title for first time in 17 years on WWE Raw tonight
(Courtesy : WWE via Getty)
CM Punk will battle Bron Breakker tonight.
The first Monday Night Raw of 2026 is set to emanate live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The show will mark the first anniversary of the Red Brand on Netflix, as its first episode premiered on January 6, 2025, ushering in a new era for WWE.
Multiple big names, including CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, Penta, and Jey Uso, are being advertised for the special Stranger Things–themed edition of Raw. One of the marquee matches for the show is the World Heavyweight title clash between CM Punk and Bron Breakker.
Breakker was awarded the title shot after he pinned Punk in the men’s WarGames match at the WWE Survivor Series PLE in November.
CM Punk will defend the World Heavyweight title for the first time
Notably, this will be Punk’s first title defense after winning the vacant title against Jey Uso at the November 2025 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Additionally, since his return, Punk has captured the World Heavyweight title twice.
However, his first title reign ended within five minutes after Seth Rollins made his surprising return to reveal that his injury was fake and subsequently cashed in the MITB contract to pin Punk and become the new Champion at SummerSlam.
Furthermore, this will also be Punk‘s first title defense on the Red brand in 17 years. His last World Heavyweight title defense came during the 15 June 2009 edition of WWE Raw, which emanated from the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Punk defeated Edge (Adam Copeland) and Jeff Hardy in a triple threat match to retain the Heavyweight title. While he has had title defenses on Raw since then, none of them have been for the Heavyweight title, and in his third World Heavyweight title reign, he never defended the title on the Red brand.
When and where will the first Raw of 2026 take place?
The first Monday Night Raw of 2026 is set to emanate live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Where can fans tune in to catch all the action?
WWE fans can tune into Netflix (excluding select markets) to catch all the action live at 8 PM ET.
What matches have been announced for the show?
•CM Punk (c) vs Bron Breakker – World Heavyweight title match•The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) vs Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky – Women’s Tag Team titles match•Maxxine Dupri (c) vs Becky Lynch – Women’s Intercontinental title match•Liv Morgan vs Lyra Valkyria
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Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.
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