The last RAW of 2025 isn’t just a year-ender — it’s a runway. Tonight, WWE closes the calendar with The Vision stepping into the spotlight to open the show, Stephanie Vaquer defending the Women’s World Championship in a volatile Triple Threat, and AJ Styles & Dragon Lee risking the World Tag Team Titles against The Usos — all while the road from Survivor Series: WarGames keeps steering straight toward WWE’s massive Netflix anniversary special / 2026 premiere on January 5th, officially branded with a Stranger Things crossover.

Last week’s holiday-edition RAW did far more than tread water. It sharpened motivations and clarified trajectories. Austin Theory’s role within The Vision’s orbit came into focus as he and Bronson Reed defeated CM Punk & Rey Mysterio in the main event — a result that felt less like a fluke and more like a message. Theory’s demeanor, offense, and composure suggested a performer leaning into something colder and more calculated. At the same time, WWE continued stacking January 5th like a premium fight card, reinforcing that these final two RAWs aren’t filler — they’re foundation.

Zooming out further, the fallout from Survivor Series: WarGames still defines RAW’s ecosystem. Alliances hardened inside the cage, grudges intensified, and power dynamics shifted. Tonight isn’t a reset — it’s another escalation point as WWE barrels toward its most ambitious platform transition yet.

Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show

• The Vision opens RAW tonight
• Women’s World Championship – Triple Threat: Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Nikki Bella vs. Raquel Rodriguez
• World Tag Team Championship: AJ Styles & Dragon Lee (c) vs. The Usos (Jey Uso & Jimmy Uso)
• Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio

What to watch tonight: fault lines ready to crack

The Vision opens RAW — power isn’t loud, it’s positioned

When RAW opens with The Vision, WWE isn’t just highlighting a faction — it’s reinforcing a hierarchy. Since Survivor Series: WarGames, RAW has quietly shifted into a show defined by control rather than chaos. The Vision doesn’t rush; it dictates. And tonight’s opening segment matters because it will likely clarify where that control is tightening next.

Last week’s main event fallout added a new layer to that dominance. Austin Theory’s performance alongside Bronson Reed didn’t just end with a win — it ended with questions. His calculated offense, the visual callbacks, and the way he carried himself suggested a man who isn’t merely aligned with The Vision, but actively auditioning for permanence within it. Opening the show gives The Vision the chance to define the narrative before anyone else can challenge it — and with the Netflix anniversary show looming, positioning now is everything.

If RAW is becoming a chessboard heading into January 5th, this opening segment is the moment where the pieces are placed — and someone may already realize they’re in check.

Stephanie Vaquer’s Triple Threat defense — champions don’t lose, they get exposed

Triple Threat matches aren’t about proving who’s best — they’re about revealing who’s vulnerable. Stephanie Vaquer enters tonight as a champion who has carried herself with confidence and clarity, but the math is against her. She doesn’t need to be pinned to lose her title, and both Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez bring entirely different threats that force Vaquer to divide her attention.

Nikki Bella’s presence instantly reframes the match. Her return isn’t nostalgia — it’s leverage. WWE doesn’t spotlight her in a title match without intention, and every near fall or momentum shift will feel magnified. Meanwhile, Raquel Rodriguez brings the kind of raw physical dominance that can completely derail strategy. One power move, one collision, and the entire complexion of the match changes.

This defense feels less like a conclusion and more like a pivot point. Whether Vaquer survives or not, the Women’s World Title picture leaving tonight will not look the same — and whatever emerges is almost guaranteed to bleed directly into the Netflix premiere landscape.

Styles & Dragon Lee vs. The Usos — legitimacy versus legacy

AJ Styles and Dragon Lee have spent their reign restoring prestige to the World Tag Team Championships — fast-paced, workrate-driven, and respected. But prestige only matters if it can withstand legacy, and that’s exactly what The Usos represent.

This match isn’t about momentum — it’s about identity. Styles and Lee are champions building something new; The Usos are challengers who define what “the standard” even means. Every exchange tonight will feel like a referendum on the direction of the division heading into 2026.

With WWE preparing to introduce itself to a broader Netflix audience, tag team wrestling needs a flagship moment. A title change would signal familiarity and dominance. A successful defense would signal evolution. Either outcome reshapes the division’s hierarchy.

Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio — the measuring stick doesn’t bend

On paper, Austin Theory vs. Rey Mysterio is a generational clash. In reality, it’s a psychological test. Rey Mysterio has built a Hall of Fame career on exposing who someone truly is inside the ring — especially when pressure rises.

For Theory, tonight isn’t about the win alone. It’s about how he wins, what he’s willing to do, and who he becomes in the process. Last week blurred lines. Tonight sharpens them. If Theory is truly evolving — stepping into something darker, colder, and more deliberate — Rey is the exact opponent who will force that side to surface.

This is the kind of match WWE revisits months from now and says, “That’s when it changed.”

Netflix anniversary show — January 5th, 2026 (announced matches)

• World Heavyweight Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Bron Breakker
• WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship: The Kabuki Warriors (c) vs. Rhea Ripley & IYO SKY
• WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Maxxine Dupri (c) vs. Becky Lynch

The January 5th RAW serves as WWE’s Netflix-era premiere, officially branded with Stranger Things Night. While crossover details remain closely guarded, the announced matches alone position the show as one of the most loaded non-PLE RAW episodes in recent history.

Why tonight matters

Tonight’s RAW is connective tissue. The Vision’s influence, Vaquer’s championship jeopardy, the tag division’s pressure point, and Austin Theory’s rise all converge as WWE transitions from WarGames fallout into a bold new chapter. What happens tonight won’t just close 2025 — it will define how the Netflix era begins.

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