Welcome one and all to the RAW RECAP presented by THE REVELLEUTION!
2026 is finally here, and we’re kicking off the New Year with a loaded show of three women’s matches, two of them with Championships on the line. The Kabuki Warriors defend the Tag Team titles against Rhiyo, while Maxxine Dupri puts the Women’s IC title on the line against former Champion Becky Lynch. Will we get predictable results of new Champions? Or will the WWE swerve us as we head into Royal Rumble season? Let’s get into it, and find out…
This week’s ‘Arrived Earlier Today’ videos included The Judgement Day with LIV MORGAN, ROXANNE PEREZ and RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ, as well as LYRA VALKYRIA and BAYLEY, Women’s IC Champ MAXXINE DUPRI, and BECKY LYNCH.
Women’s Tag Team Championship Match
Rhiyo (IYO SKY & RHEA RIPLEY) defeated Women’s Tag Team Champions The Kabuki Warriors (ASUKA & KAIRI SANE) to become the NEW Tag Team Champions.
Sky and Asuka started off first with Sky hitting a round of Forearm Strikes, but things got messy with miscommunication when they tried to do an Irish Whip spot. Sky soon did misdirection, her flips then a leg trip to set up a Basement Dropkick. Sane would be promptly sent out of the ring when she tried to attack Sky, and that set up (after a tag) Ripley to hit a Cannonball off the apron to wipe out the Warriors. Ripley sent Asuka back inside but Asuka quickly used the ropes to get a break before tagging out to Sane. Sane would roll to avoid a lock up and slapped Ripley, and used her quickness to try and frustrate Ripley with a backside smacking taunt. It eventually led to Sane being wiped out with a Running Clothesline.
Sky got a tag and Ripley whipped her into their corner to hit a Back Elbow on Sane. Sky hit a Twist and Shout, a tribute to retired Japanese legend Tanahashi of NJPW, before tagging in Ripley who tossed Sky into Sane with a Splash off of a Wheelbarrow position to give Ripley a two count. Ripley would play with her food a bit, using a cocky cover of a foot on the chest while posing and taking her time with a slow shove to the back, bouncing Sane off the ropes to hit a Forearm to the back a couple of times. Sane would see the third attempt coming, hitting a counter Forearm Strike before quickly tagging out to Asuka.
Asuka hit a Pop-up Knee Strike, which sent Ripley through the ropes to the apron but Ripley avoided an Empress Impact on the ropes, hauling Asuka out to the apron. A switch of grip just led to Asuka being knocked to the floor, but Sane pulled her partner out of the way so Ripley’s Cannonball attempt just hit the floor. Followed up by the Warriors sending Ripley into the barricade. Back inside, Sane was tagged in and soon locked on a Figure 4 Headscissors over the ropes to choke Ripley. The Flying Forearm soon followed to give Sane a near fall. Asuka was tagged as the Warriors hit the strike combo, finished with a sliding Basement Dropkick by Sane as Asuka got a two count.
Sane was tagged, but as she went up top Ripley broke free from Asuka’s grip, levelling her with a Headbutt then catching Sane’s Crossbody attempt, turning it into a Fallaway Slam. Tags on both sides as Sky went House on Fire with Shotei strikes, another Tanahashi tribute with a Slingblade, an Armbreaker across the ropes to Sane and then a Missile Dropkick to take out both Warriors before she did the flips AND DID THE THING. Asuka would counter a Bullet Train attempt, sending Sky to the apron and soon after Sane grabbed Sky’s leg when she went for a Springboard. Leaving Sky hung over the top rope to take a kick from Asuka and that, after a tag, allowed Sane to hit a Double Stomp off the top onto Sky’s back while she was still on the rope but Sane just got a near fall.
The bad back, the storyline for the match over the past couple of weeks, was the focus as Sane hit stomps in her team’s corner then a Sliding D to the back for a near fall. Asuka was tagged for a Surfboard Stretch but Sky managed to escape for a pin and a two count. Sane was tagged as the Warriors hit a Double Team Hip Toss followed by a Double Team Elbow Drop to get another near fall then more of them with repeated covers. Sane lured Ripley in, distracting the ref so the Warriors could stomp and club away at Sky. Sane hit the Waterwheel Slam then locked on the Anchor, transitioned into the Boston Crab (incorrectly called the Anchor by the commentators) but Sane leaned too far back, landing on the canvas as Sky countered with a Double Stomp to escape.
Ripley got the hot tag and hit Clotheslines on Sane, a strike across the knee and soon after countering Sane’s vaulting Headscissors spot with a kick to the gut. Kingdom Falls landed to set up a Running Basement Dropkick. Asuka was wiped out with a Big Boot before Ripley hoisted up Sky for Razor’s Edge, hitting it after Sky had gotten a tag and Sky hit a Missile Dropkick but Sane kicked out. Ripley, seemingly legal off a tag during a replay, would plant Sane with Riptide but Asuka came in, shoving Ripley into the corner to knock Sky off the top to make her tumble to the floor. Asuka hit a Codebreaker on Ripley to give Sane a near fall.
Asuka got a tag and hit a Sliding Kick for a near fall, then peppered Ripley with a strike combo. When Ripley tried for her Counter Kick off the mat, Asuka caught the boot and applied an Ankle Lock into the leg-trap German Suplex. Sane got a tag as Asuka hit a Spinning Heel Kick before a combo of a Sliding D by Sane and a kick to the back by Asuka to get a near fall. Asuka was tagged as the Warriors hit the Double Team of the Reverse Neckbreaker and InSane Elbow combo, but Sky broke up the pin.
Sky would duck a Cutlass attempt and hit Sane with a Release German Suplex. Sky got a tag but was scooped with a Small Package then a Backslide for near falls. Sky would get her Wheelbarrow into a Double Stomp spot, then hit a Bullet Train Attack to Asuka on the ropes. Ripley was tagged to hit Riptide on Asuka, setting up Over the Moonsault by Sky who then hit a Suicide Dive on Sane while Ripley got the pin on Asuka to crown NEW Women’s Tag Team Champions. Getting the pyro celebration for the new champs. Moments later, as usual, Raw GM Adam Pearce stole some heat as he praised the new Champs.
IVY NILE would warn Adam Pearce that no matter who won the IC title match tonight, she wasn’t going to wait at the back of the line.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship Match
BECKY LYNCH defeated Women’s Intercontinental Champion MAXXINE DUPRI to become the NEW Champion
Lynch went for the Dis-Arm-Her right away but Dupri got to the ropes. Then Dupri used a leg pick to apply the Ankle Lock but Lynch got to the ropes. After a series of waistlocks, Lynch would fake a clean break out of a corner and hit a Bang Kick. Dupri would hit a Lou Thesz Press soon after with punches. Dupri would counter a legsweep on the apron with a cartwheel, and moments later hit a Pump Kick on the outside to deck Lynch. Dupri kept control with multiple shots to the barricade and apron before sending Lynch back in. Lynch countered with a Chinbuster and then swept Dupri’s leg when she went to the middle rope, sending Dupri crashing down.
Lynch played the hits with the corner Forearm shot then the Bex-Ploder, and right after a Baseball Slide that set up the Forearm off the apron. A Legdrop from the middle rope got a near fall for Lynch. Moments later, Lynch tried to apply an Arm Bar but Dupri used a counter pin for a near fall then hit a Running Boot. The women exchanged blows before Dupri fired up and hit a trio of Clotheslines, a corner Clothlines, a Release Fisherwoman’s Suplex then kipped up. She hit the Pump Knee then the Backslide Dropdown spot but the announcers, not familiar with the recent Raw product, acted like it was a botch when it wasn’t. Dupri hit a Roundhouse Kick for a near fall.
Lynch managed to block a second Roundhouse, but Dupri countered that and rolled through into an Ankle Lock but Lynch got to the ropes. Lynch yanked Dupri into the ropes but missed with a follow up Stomp off the ropes, getting rolled up and Dupri turned the kick-out into another Ankle Lock. Lynch briefly got the Dis-Arm-Her locked on but again Dupri countered with the Ankle Lock. Moments later, Lynch hit a Superplex, rolled through into a DDT but only got a near fall.
Dupri blocked two Man-Handle Slam attempts but was, after a bit of hesitation, dumped with a Back Suplex for a two count. Lynch applied an Ankle Lock but soon got hit with a wild German Suplex. Dupri hit a top rope Crossbody but only got a near fall. Soon after, Dupri countered being held in a Powerbomb position with a cascade down, picking the leg for yet another Ankle Lock. Lynch rolled through but Dupri grounded the hold. Lynch leaned back and held the ropes to steal the win with the counter pin for the Heel win to become the NEW Champion. Getting a pyro celebration anyway as Dupri looked distraught in the ring while Lynch gloated.
JACKIE REDMOND hosted Women’s World Champion STEPHANIE VAQUER for an in-ring interview, and Vaquer had one foot in a ‘walking boot’ medical cast being described as an ankle injury from last week’s Triple Threat Match. Vaquer listed her accomplishments and spoke a bit in her native tongue but the fans still cheered. Vaquer said her bad leg wouldn’t stop her. However, after the interview, Raquel Rodriguez attacked Vaquer from behind then pounded away. Slamming the medical boot leg into the canvas three times before muscling up Vaquer for a Tijana Bomb. Yet again on the show, GM Adam Pearce stole some heat when he took away a chair from the supposed Powerhouse Rodriguez when she looked to Pilmanize Vaquer’s leg. Just walking away smugly while Vaquer was left squirming in pain on the mat. Being helped to the back by trainers.
Backstage, the assault continued when Rodriguez attacked Vaquer, sending her into equipment cases twice before standing on the bad leg. For the THIRD time, Adam Pearce stole more heat when he showed up to yell at Rodriguez to leave.
Singles Match
LIV MORGAN w/h ROXANNE PEREZ defeated LYRA VALKYRIA w/h BAYLEY
Morgan controlled with a Headlock then a Shoulder Knockdown, but soon took a Clothesline after Valkyria did a flip counter. After more counters, Valkyria hit her Legsweep then a Basement Dropkick before a Northern Lights Suplex got a near fall. Morgan avoided the Dropkick through the ropes spot, and caught Valkyria with a Knee Strike on the apron when she tried to get back in. Morgan sent Valkyria into the ring steps and worked her over in the ring with kicks to the gut then a shot into the ring post. Applying a Boston Crab while on the corner then a Facebuster out of the corner for a near fall.
Morgan would hit a Backstabber for a near fall. Morgan hit Three Amigos then a Basement Enzigiri for a near fall. After an exchange of Surfboards, duel Clotheslines wiped each other out before they had an exchange of strikes that led to counter shots while their opponent ran the ropes. Valkyria would counter an ObLIVion attempt and pulled Morgan off the ropes to hit a Release German Suplex. Followed by the Tornado DDT, rolled through into a Fisherwoman’s Suplex for a near fall.
Valkyria went for Nightwing but Morgan countered with elbow shots, leading to an exchange of pin holds before Morgan clubbed away at Valkyria but she fought through the blows, trying for Nightwing again. Morgan countered that with a wild Codebreaker that near spiked Valkyria. Valkyria hit her round of strikes but when Morgan distracted the ref, Perez pulled the ropes for a Low Bridge trick that made Valkyria tumble to the floor. Bayley went to confront Perez, briefly stopped by the ref but that allowed Perez to hit a cheap shot slap before dumping Bayley into the Timekeeper’s area. That unlocked Bayley’s unhinged side as she chased Perez to the back with a steel chair in hand.
That all distracted Valkyria who ate an ObLIVion when she reentered the ring to give Morgan a return victory in her first (televised) match back in WWE.
B-FAB was featured in a hype video about the Netflex House attraction.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
The WWE needs to replace Adam Pearce or at least change his character/position on the show because stealing the heat multiple times from the Women’s Division is a sorry state of affairs. A mixed bag but mostly good from the three matches. Lynch versus Dupri felt like a slow slog of just spots in a row than a proper match. They’ve had better matches in the past and easily Dupri’s match against Ivy Nile from weeks back was far better than this. The outcome hurt Dupri more, even ‘protected’ by the ropes being held but it certainly didn’t do any woman either favours. Lynch doesn’t need the title and it’s going to be hard for Dupri to recover from this major loss.
A great tag team match for the titles, as only expected, even with the predictable outcome. The question will be who steps up next to challenge, with the likely candidates being Lash Legend and Nia Jax from SmackDown or The Judgement Day from Raw. Valkyria versus Morgan was more of a glorified Morgan showcase, getting her back on the map and likely taking Bayley and Valkyria out of the tag title picture for now. Lastly, the segment with Rodriguez and Vaquer worked fine. Giving an injury angle to this gives a different route and keeps things fresh, so we’ll see how long they drag out this part of the feud for after Rodriguez has now suffered two losses in title matches against Vaquer with a third likely on the way.
That’s your lot for this week! Be sure to stop by in seven days’ time for the next edition of the RAW RECAP! See you then!