WWE Monday Night RAW goes international tonight as the red brand emanates from the PSD Bank Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, streaming live around the world on Netflix as part of WWE’s European Tour. Due to the show airing live from Germany, RAW will have a special start time in the United States, beginning at 2:00 PM ET / 11:00 AM PT. Tonight’s episode is historically significant on multiple levels — not only is RAW broadcasting from Germany during a pivotal stretch of the calendar, but both RAW and the upcoming Royal Rumble will emanate from their respective host cities for the first time ever, underscoring WWE’s continued global expansion.
With Saturday Night’s Main Event on January 23rd and the Royal Rumble from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia looming on January 31st, tonight’s RAW serves as a crucial narrative checkpoint. Championships, grudges, and Rumble momentum all converge, headlined by a blockbuster first-time-ever clash between two generational icons and major storyline developments across the board.
Here Is Everything Advertised for Tonight’s Show
- GUNTHER vs. AJ Styles
- Opening Segment: Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley
- Penta & Dragon Lee vs. Austin Theory & Bronson Reed
- CM Punk Speaks
- Raquel Rodriguez addresses her attack on Stephanie Vaquer
GUNTHER vs. AJ Styles — A First-Time-Ever Collision With Championship Implications
Tonight’s main event attraction sees World Heavyweight Champion GUNTHER step into the ring with AJ Styles in a singles match that has never before taken place on WWE television. While the championship is not officially on the line, the stakes are undeniable.
GUNTHER has entered 2026 continuing the same ruthless, suffocating dominance that defined his historic reign throughout 2025. Since reclaiming control of RAW following Survivor Series, “The Ring General” has systematically dismantled challengers, reinforcing his belief that the World Heavyweight Championship is not merely defended — it is earned through punishment.
AJ Styles, meanwhile, has made it abundantly clear in recent weeks that time is no longer a luxury. Fresh off a renewed push following his return to prominence on RAW, Styles has targeted GUNTHER not just as a dream opponent, but as the measuring stick for whether he still belongs at the very top of the industry. A victory tonight would place Styles squarely into the World Title conversation heading into the Royal Rumble, while a loss would raise serious questions about his championship future.
This match is less about momentum and more about identity — the technician versus the tyrant — and its outcome will reverberate well beyond Düsseldorf.
IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley Open RAW — Tension Beneath the Gold
The show will open with Women’s Tag Team Champions IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley, an unusual pairing whose reign has been defined by dominance in the ring and visible tension outside of it.
Since capturing the titles, SKY and Ripley have been unstoppable, but recent weeks on RAW have subtly teased fractures beneath the surface. Ripley’s growing focus on singles dominance and SKY’s insistence on honoring the championship responsibility have created an uneasy balance — one that tonight’s opening segment could further strain.
With the women’s division rapidly heating up ahead of the Royal Rumble, and multiple teams circling the titles, what begins as a statement of unity could easily become the first crack in a championship foundation that many believe is living on borrowed time.
Penta & Dragon Lee vs. Austin Theory & Bronson Reed — Styles Clash on the Road to the Rumble
RAW’s international stage provides the backdrop for a volatile tag team collision as Penta and Dragon Lee take on Austin Theory and Bronson Reed.
Penta and Dragon Lee have electrified audiences with their high-octane offense and lucha-inspired precision, quickly becoming one of RAW’s most dangerous hybrid teams. Across the ring stands a duo built on arrogance and raw power — Theory’s calculated opportunism meshing with Reed’s unrelenting physicality.
With Royal Rumble season officially underway, every match carries individual implications. Whether alliances hold or egos collide, tonight’s contest is less about tag supremacy and more about which competitors leave Germany with momentum heading into one of WWE’s most unpredictable events of the year.
CM Punk Speaks — What Comes After Survival?
CM Punk is scheduled to address the WWE Universe tonight following the physical and emotional toll of last week’s World Heavyweight Championship encounter.
Since returning to RAW, Punk has made it clear that he is not chasing nostalgia — he is chasing legacy. His recent performances have silenced doubts about his place in the modern era, but they have also raised a pressing question: What is Punk’s next move?
With the Royal Rumble fast approaching and unresolved tension still lingering across the RAW main-event scene, Punk’s words tonight could clarify whether his path leads back toward championship gold, unfinished business, or a collision course with another returning legend.
Raquel Rodriguez Addresses Stephanie Vaquer — Fallout from a Statement Attack
Also advertised tonight is Raquel Rodriguez, who will address her shocking attack on Stephanie Vaquer in recent weeks.
Rodriguez’s actions marked a turning point in her presentation on RAW — a shift from powerhouse competitor to calculated aggressor. Vaquer, whose arrival has already made waves, represents a new generation colliding with an established force unwilling to cede ground.
What Rodriguez says tonight will likely determine whether this confrontation escalates toward a marquee singles match, possibly as soon as Saturday Night’s Main Event or beyond.
Analysis
Tonight’s RAW is a textbook example of WWE using its global platform to advance multiple narratives simultaneously. GUNTHER vs. AJ Styles is not merely a dream match — it is a litmus test for RAW’s championship hierarchy heading into the Royal Rumble. The Women’s Tag Team Championship segment hints at future implosion while maintaining immediate stakes. CM Punk’s promo carries main-event gravity without requiring a match, and the undercard continues to spotlight international and stylistic diversity.
Digging deeper, this episode functions as a tone-setting broadcast for the remainder of January. GUNTHER facing Styles in Europe is a deliberate choice — positioning the World Heavyweight Champion against a universally respected veteran in front of a historically vocal international crowd reinforces GUNTHER’s aura as a global champion, not merely a domestic one. A dominant performance strengthens his inevitability heading toward the Rumble, while even a competitive showing by Styles subtly reframes him as a credible late-career threat without overcommitting to a title change.
The decision to open with IYO SKY and Rhea Ripley is equally strategic. WWE has increasingly used opening segments to foreshadow WrestleMania-adjacent stories, and the slow-burn tension between the Women’s Tag Team Champions suggests that their partnership may be approaching a natural expiration point. Whether that fracture occurs before or after the Royal Rumble, tonight’s segment is designed to plant narrative seeds rather than rush a payoff.
CM Punk’s presence continues to be treated as event-level even without physicality. His character exists in a unique space — adjacent to the championship picture without being locked into it — making every promo feel like a pivot point. Punk declaring Rumble intentions, issuing a warning, or even remaining deliberately vague all serve different long-term purposes, which is why his words tonight may matter more than any single match outcome.
Meanwhile, the inclusion of Penta, Dragon Lee, Bronson Reed, and Austin Theory underscores RAW’s emphasis on depth. These are not filler matches; they are auditions — for Rumble moments, for post-Rumble positioning, and for the next tier of weekly television staples.
Most importantly, RAW in Düsseldorf reinforces WWE’s commitment to making international crowds feel essential, not supplemental, to major storyline progression. As the road narrows toward Saturday Night’s Main Event and ultimately the Royal Rumble from Riyadh, tonight’s episode is positioned not as a stopgap — but as a narrative accelerator.
Everything that happens tonight matters.
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