CM Punk vs Finn Balor; IC title rematch & other storylines to watch on WWE RAW (January 19, 2026)

This week’s Raw will serve as the go-home show for SNME.

WWE will wrap up its European tour ahead of the Royal Rumble PLE with a stop in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the January 19 episode of Monday Night Raw. The SSE Arena will host the event, where fans can expect two high-profile championship matches to headline the night.

The European tour will conclude on January 20th with a House show in Belgium, as WWE travels to Canada for SNME. The episode will also serve as the go-home show for the aforementioned January 24 edition of SNME.

Multiple top stars, including CM Punk, Gunther, Becky Lynch, Rhea Ripley, Finn Balor, and Jey Uso, among others, are being advertised for the show. Ahead of this week’s show in Belfast, let us take a look at the top four storylines that might be in play on this week’s WWE Raw.

4. Bron Breakker’s suspension

During last week’s show, Bron Breakker unleashed chaos after losing the World title match against CM Punk on the first Raw of 2026. Breakker attacked Dragon Lee and Penta during their tag team match against Breakker’s stablemates from the Vision.

However, Breakker then crossed a limit, putting his hand on GM Adam Pearce, who tried to confront him. The aftermath saw Pearce suspend Breakker indefinitely, with Paul Heyman noting that it was Pearce who first put his hands on Breakker. With rumors of a potential clash between the GM and the Badass, it will be interesting to see how this angle progresses.

Also Read: WWE RAW Preview (January 19, 2026): Match card, news, timings & telecast details

3. Women’s IC title rematch

Becky Lynch is set to defend the WWE Women’s Intercontinental title against Maxxine Dupri in a rematch from the January 5 episode, where Lynch regained the title. Dupri is aiming to make amends for the previous loss and extend her series advantage to 3–2 against one of the division’s all-time greats, while Lynch looks to level the rivalry and reassert her dominance.

The feud has reached a point where fans will start to tune out, as we’ve seen the two battle countless times, with no major development. Neither Natalya made her return to join the storyline, nor did the AJ Lee angle continue. If WWE has no major plans for the two stars and is prolonging the Lee feud till WrestleMania, they should conclude this feud this Monday.

2. SNME go-home show

As mentioned, the January 19 edition will serve as the go-home show for the first Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2026, which is set to emanate live from the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. WWE has announced a Women’s Tag Team titles match where Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky will defend the titles against #1 Contenders Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez.

With likely one more match left on the card, fans are expecting WWE to announce a major match on this week’s show. Fans can also expect Rhiyo and the Judgment Day to engage in a promo battle to hype up the upcoming clash.

1. CM Punk vs Finn Balor

World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk is set to defend the title against Finn Balor, who is looking to capitalize on home advantage in Belfast and follow through on his promise of bringing the World title to the Judgment Day.

Notably, this is Balor’s first title opportunity in almost 900 days, as he last competed for the World title at SummerSlam 2023. With massive fan support in Belfast, Balor needs to deliver. Although a title change seems unlikely, we might expect an amazing match, which might end in DQ due to a possible interference from the Vision or Bron Breakker.

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