Ladies and gentlemen… welcome to a brand‑new year — and a brand‑new chapter.
Tonight, WWE Monday Night RAW storms into Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Netflix, celebrating the one‑year anniversary of RAW streaming on the platform with an immersive crossover event themed around Netflix’s smash hit Stranger Things. WWE is leaning into the eerie atmospherics, encouraging fans to channel their inner Eleven, Dustin, or even a Demogorgon as Raw enters the Upside Down tonight.
From the mysterious disappearance in Hawkins that ignited Season 1 to the harrowing battles that closed Season 5, tonight’s RAW sees escalation at every turn — storylines forced into the spotlight, rivalries intensifying, and Superstars confronted by personal demons and monstrous challengers much like Stranger Things’ characters faced theirs.
This is not just another episode of RAW.
This is the first RAW of 2026, and it comes on the heels of a seismic final show of 2025 that saw The Usos defeat AJ Styles and Dragon Lee to capture the WWE World Tag Team Championship in the main event, marking their ninth overall tag title reign.
That result not only reshaped WWE’s tag division but created emotional ripples throughout RAW’s locker room — especially considering AJ Styles himself has publicly discussed that 2026 will be his final year as an active in‑ring competitor. Every confrontation, every victory, every setback for Styles this year now carries the weight of legacy and finality.
Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show
- World Heavyweight Championship
- CM Punk (c) vs. Bron Breakker – World title match, expected to headline RAW’s special crossover show.
- WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship
- The Kabuki Warriors (Asuka & Kairi Sane) (c) vs. Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY – The challengers earned their shot after targeting the champions in recent weeks.
- WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship
- Maxxine Dupri (c) vs. Becky Lynch – A rematch fueled by unfinished business and personal pride.
- Liv Morgan vs. Lyra Valkyria – Liv’s first televised singles bout since returning to action.
- RAW on Netflix One‑Year Anniversary Celebration
- Stranger Things crossover elements woven throughout the show.
RAW x Stranger Things: When Two Worlds Collide
Stranger Things has always been about escalation — how seemingly small disturbances lead to monstrous events and universe‑shaking consequences. WWE’s presentation tonight captures that same trajectory: what begins as rivalry becomes obsession, what starts as a title match can spiral into chaos, and every Superstar must navigate not just an opponent, but the unknown.
With the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on January 31st looming next on WWE’s calendar, the stakes tonight are more than just wins and losses — they’re momentum. In Stranger Things, Hawkins’ residents discovered that the Upside Down never stays hidden for long; in WWE, unresolved conflict never stays buried either.
CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker: Experience Under Siege
On paper, this match reads like a clash of philosophies.
CM Punk stands as the World Heavyweight Champion through grit, guile, and an unwavering belief in his own methodology. For weeks on RAW, Punk has walked the line between confidence and cockiness, confronting challengers and acknowledging that someone young and hungry will inevitably rise to threaten his position.
Enter Bron Breakker — power incarnate with a savage streak and a growing arsenal of victories. Breakker’s path to this championship opportunity was paved with dominance, including pinning Punk in tag matches and demanding his shot, and WWE granted him that chance for RAW’s anniversary episode.
Tonight’s headliner isn’t simply a title defense — it’s a battle between the champion’s wisdom and the challenger’s raw, untapped potential. It’s Punk standing tall against a force that refuses to wait politely at the door.
Women’s Tag Team Championship: Fire vs. Fury
The Kabuki Warriors have carved a unique identity as champions, blending Asuka’s technical mastery with Sane’s unpredictable aerial flair. However, Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY represent a different kind of threat: Ripley’s relentless aggression paired with SKY’s explosive offense has rattled contenders across RAW.
This feud intensified as Ripley and SKY targeted the champions in the weeks leading up to the special, demanding their opportunity and asserting that the current titleholders haven’t faced a team capable of dismantling their synergy.
Like Hawkins’ allies in the Battle of Starcourt, this matchup is about teamwork under pressure — the difference between holding the line and losing it all.
Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Legacy vs. Momentum
Becky Lynch enters this bout with urgency. Her storied career has included countless championships, but tonight isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about reclaiming what she believes she never should have lost.
Maxxine Dupri, meanwhile, has worked tirelessly to legitimize her reign, portraying the Women’s Intercontinental Championship as a symbol of her ascent and tenacity. Their rivalry has been fiery, personal, and increasingly physical, with past confrontations laying the foundation for tonight’s high‑stakes rematch.
This isn’t just a title defense — it’s a crossroads for both competitors’ identities and momentum heading into January’s bigger stages.
Liv Morgan Returns: Survival Starts Somewhere
After an extended absence due to injury, Liv Morgan makes her long‑anticipated television return tonight against Lyra Valkyria — a rising star in RAW’s women’s division. This match is booked not only as a competitive bout, but as a narrative reset.
Morgan’s comeback echoes Stranger Things’ core message of resilience — getting back up when odds are stacked against you, confronting fear, and proving you belong.
The Road to the Royal Rumble
While this episode is built as a spectacle, the future waits just beyond tonight’s show.
The Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — WWE’s first major Premium Live Event of 2026 — is less than a month away, and every title bout, every hard‑fought victory, and every surprise here tonight could influence those eventual Rumble storylines. Momentum is currency in January, and tonight’s outcomes will echo in weeks to come.
AJ Styles: The Final Chapter Is Open
Finally, there’s AJ Styles — freshly dethroned from the World Tag Team Championship and facing a year that will be his last in the ring. That context changes everything. Every appearance — whether in the ring or in a promo — now carries legacy weight. Styles has openly stated he aims to retire within the next year, making every moment a chance to define what his final year will look like.
Like the closing seasons of Stranger Things, this chapter is about confronting past demons, redefining identity, and choosing how a legend walks off into the next phase.
The lights are low.
The atmosphere is thick.
The year is new — but the danger is familiar.
RAW on Netflix. Stranger Things in the air. Championships on the line. Careers and legacies at stake.
Tonight, the fight continues.
Welcome to Monday Night RAW.
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