WWE RAW Highlights (January 5, 2026): CM Punk vs Bron Breakker; Raquel Rodriguez viciously attacks Stephanie Vaquer; Liv Morgan's in-ring return; Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky win & more

Hello everyone and welcome to Khel Now’s HIGHLIGHTS & GRADES of WWE Monday Night RAW (January 5, 2025). The start is just a few hours away! I’m your host, Abhijit, and I’ll be keeping you company through what promises to be a fascinating evening of WWE. Please wait 30 seconds for the Live blog to load.

WWE kicked off 2026 with the return of SmackDown to a three-hour format, and the promotion is now set to deliver the first episode of the Red Brand of the year. To continue the New Year momentum, WWE will present a special Stranger Things–themed edition of Raw.

The first Monday Night Raw of 2026 is set to emanate live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The show will also mark the one-year 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 show. 

Matches announced for WWE Raw (January 5, 2026)

• Stranger Things crossover
• 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
• Adam Pearce teases Chris Jericho’s WWE return

CM Punk (c) vs Bron Breakker – World Heavyweight title match

After pinning the World Heavyweight Champion during the men’s WarGames match, Bron Breakker rallied for a World title shot, and he was granted one for the January 5 show. The animosity between the two is evident, and tensions have only escalated following their deeply personal promos that targeted each other’s families.

The Champion, CM Punk, will now have to defend the title against Breakker, and with the Vision by his side, the odds are stacked firmly against the Champion.

The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) vs Rhea Ripley & Iyo Sky – Women’s Tag Team titles match

On the other hand, the Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane), since turning on Iyo Sky, have targeted her and Rhea Ripley on every occasion, and with the Women’s Tag titles on their shoulder they themselves have become a target for the other contenders.

Multiple tag teams have laid claim to a title shot, but it was Ripley and Iyo who were awarded the shot, largely due to the history between the two teams. Rhiyo are the favorites coming into the title clash as Sky pinned Sane in an eight-woman tag team match, involving Asuka and Ripley on last week’s SmackDown.

Maxxine Dupri (c) vs Becky Lynch – Women’s Intercontinental title match

Following her return two weeks earlier, Becky Lynch is hungry to get back the win against Maxxine Dupri and reclaim the Women’s Intercontinental title. Following her return on the December 22 show, the title rematch was announced for the Brooklyn show.

Dupri will defend the Intercontinental title in another showdown with the veteran Lynch as she looks to continue her momentum and get another massive win over one of the top names.

Liv Morgan vs Lyra Valkyria

Liv Morgan made her surprising return during the Survivor Series 2025 PLE. Since her return, Liv has vowed to put Judgment Day back in control of the Red brand and is vowing to bring back gold to the faction, restoring the glory once again.

Amid tensions and a rift with Raquel Rodriguez, she is now set to make her in-ring return on WWE Programming for the first time since her injury in June. Morgan will battle Lyra Valkyria in a singles match.

Chris Jericho returns?

With multiple reports hinting at the return of Chris Jericho, many fans have been speculating whether Y2J will return to the promotion, following his contract expiration with AEW. Notably, General Adam Pearce, during his weekly preview of Raw, where he announces matches and segments, said something that caught the attention of fans.

“There are also three massive championship matches on the card. Who will break down the walls and walk out with gold?” Pearce said during the promo.

The line “break down the walls” is famously associated with Jericho’s WWE entrance music, and Pearce’s direct reference to it has sparked speculation among fans about a possible Jericho return. While the first Raw of 2026 is already stacked with star power, WWE could still choose to bring Jericho back, or the reference may simply be a deliberate misdirection meant to stir buzz and subvert expectations.

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