There were Championship Matches a-plenty across the week for the first full dose of WWE action for the new year. Raw, Smackdown and NXT played host to title bouts with high stakes and Championship gold on the line. Who emerged on top? Let’s look back at the results…
WWE Monday Night Raw – Jan 5th 2026
The duo affectionately known together as Rhiyo – Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky – captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships for the first time as a duo when they defeated rivals The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka and Kairi Sane). More than a measure of revenge for Ripley and Sky, as after a combo of a Riptide then Over the Moonsault, Ripley pinned Asuka to crown new Champions.
On the same edition of Raw, a new Women’s Intercontinental Champion was crowned when Becky Lynch stole back the IC gold from the woman she lost it to in Maxxine Dupri. A counter pin to a grounded Ankle Lock while holding the ropes allowed Lynch to steal the title and become the first ever two-time Women’s IC Champ in the title’s still young history.
Elsewhere on Raw, Liv Morgan made a successful return to action (on TV at least) with a win over Lyra Valkyria. While Raquel Rodriguez attacked Women’s World Champion Stephanie Vaquer (who seemingly, at least in storyline, has an injured ankle) to show that her quest for the World gold is far from over.
NXT: New Year’s Evil – Jan 6th 2026
NXT Women’s Champion Jacy Jayne continues to prove doubters wrong when she defeated the major rising star and WWE Evolve Women’s Champion Kendal Grey. Although tainted, thanks to the outside interference from Fatal Influence, Jayne retained once again after an assisted Rolling Encore.
The planned Women’s North American Championship Match between defending, and unlikely, Champion Thea Hail and former title-holder Blake Monroe never started. Monroe attacked Hail during her entrance and after the assault, was kicked out of the building by General Manager Ava.
In a clash between rivals, Tatum Paxley defeated Izzy Dame with her patented Cemetery Drive for a more than moral victory of the woman who cost her the NXT Women’s Championship.
However, Dame would have the last laugh later in the night. When Thea Hail made an open challenge for her North American Championship, Dame would get to the ring first even after a chainsaw-wielding Tatum Paxley scared off the rest of the women’s division. In the resulting match, Dame countered a Kimura Lock on the ropes with a Super Dame Over Powerbomb to become the new Champion.
WWE Smackdown – Jan 9th 2026
In a clash over the Women’s United States Championship, Giulia got a more than tainted victory over Alexa Bliss to retain the gold. The numbers game caught up to Bliss and not just because of a lack of a ‘sick’ Charlotte Flair and the presence of Kiana James at ringside. Outside interference from Lash Legend and Nia Jax, who had a run-in with Bliss backstage, all helped Giulia to eventually retain with a Northern Lights Bomb.
Elsewhere, Jordynne Grace made a successful debut as an official part of the Smackdown brand, defeating Alba Fyre. Chelsea Green tried to distract at one point, only for Grace to send Fyre into Green to knock her from the apron. A Torture Rack Bomb soon followed to give Grace the win. A short-lived victory as afterwards, WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill confronted Grace on the entranceway with a verbal warning. Perhaps the seeds of a future clash between the two still to come.