Fun Fact: Finn Balor will compete for WWE World Title for first time in 898 days on Raw (January 19, 2026)
(Courtesy : WWE via Getty)
Finn Balor will enter Monday’s Raw with a home-field advantage.
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk is set for his second title defense on the January 19 episode of Monday Night Raw against Judgment Day’s Finn Balor. The SSE Arena in Belfast will play host to the show, which will also feature Becky Lynch’s title defense.
Balor has vowed to bring the World title to the Judgment Day in 2026, and after being motivated by Liv Morgan, he asked for a title shot last week, which Punk immediately granted, but Balor wanted home-field advantage and instead wanted it in Belfast.
The two men will now clash this Monday, and ahead of the match, let’s take a look at a fascinating and somewhat baffling statistic about Balor’s title matches, which highlights just how inconsistent his creative direction has been recently, despite his tag team run with JD McDonagh.
Finn Balor last competed for the World title at SummerSlam 2023
Balor has mostly been in the tag team division, teaming with his fellow Judgment Day teammate JD McDonagh. The two have held the WWE World Tag Team titles twice in the last two years; however, both title reigns were disappointing for fans, as they were rarely featured on regular programming.
Nevertheless, the statistic is even worse when it comes to Balor even competing for the World title. The last time he competed for the World title was almost 900 days ago at the 2023 edition of SummerSlam, where he battled the then-World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
The PLE, which emanated on August 5, 2023, from Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan, USA. Finn failed to pin the Champion and lost the title match, and since then, never even competed for it until his upcoming title clash against CM Punk.
Becky Lynch will battle Maxxine Dupri in a rematch
As mentioned, Becky Lynch is set to defend the Women’s Intercontinental title against Maxxine Dupri in a rematch from the January 5 episode, where Lynch regained the title.
Dupri is looking to right the wrongs from their last encounter and further a 3–2 lead in the series against one of the greatest competitors in the division, while Lynch aims to even the score and prove her dominance once again.
Fans can expect more intiruing matchups as well as match announcement for the January 24 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event on the go-home show of Raw.
When and where will the January 19, 2026, episode of WWE Raw take place?
The January 19 show is set to take place at The SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland, U.K.
When was the last time Finn Balor competed for the WWE World title?
Balor last competed for the almost 900 days ago at the 2023 edition of SummerSlam, where he battled the then-World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins.
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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.