CM Punk's title defense; NXT call-ups & other storylines to watch on WWE RAW (January 12, 2026)

Multiple new Champions were crowned last week.

As part of the WWE European Tour and the lead-up to Royal Rumble 2026, the January 12 edition of Monday Night RAW promises a packed card of matches, unique in-ring moments, and the official start of the buildup to the upcoming Saturday Night’s Main Event.

The January 12 Raw will take place at the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Multiple stars, including Gunther, AJ Styles, CM Punk, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed, among others, are being advertised for the show.

This week’s show of the Red brand will air at a special early start time of 2 PM ET / 11 AM PT on Netflix. Ahead of this week’s show in Düsseldorf, let us take a look at the top four storylines that will be in play on this week’s WWE Raw.

4. NXT call-ups

Several reports have suggested that Oba Femi is on track for a move to the Monday Night Raw roster following his decision to vacate the NXT Championship this week at New Year’s Evil. Additionally, Je’Von Evans has officially signed with the Red brand.

SmackDown has already welcomed the NXT talents who have slotted into the roster, even teasing multiple feuds, and the same will likely be the play for Femi and Evans on this week’s show.

Also Read: WWE RAW Preview (January 12, 2026): Match card, news, timings & telecast details

3. Women’s Intercontinental title

Becky Lynch during last week’s show managed to exact her revenge, defeating Maxxine Dupri to regain the Women’s Intercontinental title. Fans are now waiting to see how this title reign unfolds, as the rumors of a clash with AJ Lee at WrestleMania are too far ahead, so the continuation of the feud with Dupri seems like the obvious plan.

On the other hand, Ivy Nile during last week also made it clear that whoever wins the title, she will be next in line, and a clash between Lynch and Nile would surely deliver a fresh new matchup for fans on the Red brand.

2. For the first time

AJ Styles and Gunther will tussle in a singles match for the first time ever in Düsseldorf. The match was set up following their segment last week, where Styles slapped Gunther, who continued insulting John Cena and mocking Styles.

This will be the first time the two stars will collide inside the squared circle, which likely means a blockbuster match for fans this Monday. This feud kicked off amid rumors of Gunther being Styles’ final opponent, while Styles is likely going to retire on a weekly show of Raw, this might be the beginning of a feud that would culminate at WrestleMania.

1. CM Punk’s first title defense

During the main event of last week’s show, CM Punk conquered Bron Breakker, despite interference from Paul Heyman, to retain the World Heavyweight title. This was Punk’s first title defense, in the backdrop of multiple reports confirming a massive push for Breakker and hints that the storyline is far from over.

It will be interesting to see how the feud unfolds after the loss and how WWE maneuvers the returns, as there is currently no major name with an ongoing feud with the Vision, except for Punk. This might change during the upcoming shows on the road to the Royal Rumble.

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