WWE in Worcester results (1/3): Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre in a steel cage match for the WWE Championship, WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill vs. Bayley, Gunther vs. Sami Zayn

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

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WWE Live Event
January 3, 2026, in Worcester, Massachusetts, at the DCU Center
Report by Dot Net reader Michael Ross

1. Iyo Sky vs. Raquel Rodriguez. These two knew how to play to a house show crowd, and they played well into the David vs Goliath dynamic with Raquel drawing good heat. Iyo is so delightful in her energy and athleticism. She won with her Over The Moonsault.

2. “The MFTs” Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, and JC Mateo (w/Solo Sikoa) vs. “The Wyatt Sicks” Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, and Joe Gacy (w/Nikki Cross). Typical match spots you would expect here. The Talla Tonga vs Erik Rowan spots excited the crowd. Howdy hit Sister Abigail on JC Mateo for the win.

“The Wyatt Sicks” Uncle Howdy, Erick Rowan, Dexter Lumis, and Joe Gacy defeated “The MFTs” Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, Talla Tonga, and JC Mateo.

3. Gunther vs. Sami Zayn. Both guys were very over with Gunther getting a lot of boos and some cheers. Kids loved Zayn. They each attempted Five Knuckle Shuffles, with Sami hitting it to pop the crowd. The match ended in a roll-up and felt anticlimactic.

Gunther defeated Sami Zayn.

4. “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods vs. “Fraxiom” Axiom and Nathan Frazer. New Day had great heel moments in a very long entrance. This included tearing up some small signs (that were given out to floor seats?) and Xavier Woods hilariously getting into a heated back-and-forth with a small elderly woman. The crowd started to lose energy by this match, and Fraxiom had little reaction from the crowd. It was a shame as they are so fast and talented. The match ended with a flying dropkick/Russian leg sweep combo with Frazer pinning Woods.

“Fraxiom” Axiom and Nathan Frazer defeated “New Day” Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods.

5. Carmelo Hayes vs. The Miz for the U.S. Championship. Melo is definitely over, but he is also a local guy, so that could be part of it. The in-ring introductions played into the cheap heat with Miz being introduced as hating the Patriots and Melo getting the local hero rub. A fine match with Melo winning after hitting the First 48 and Nothing but Net.

Carmelo Hayes defeated The Miz to retain the U.S. Championship.

*Intermission*

6. WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill vs. Bayley. It was unclear if this was a title defense. Jade came out before the match and insulted Worcester. I believe she was initially scheduled to face Michin, so Bayley came out instead in what was apparently an open challenge. The crowd was quiet in this match, and Jade was still a bit clumsy in spots. She won with her Jaded finisher.

WWE Women’s Champion Jade Cargill defeated Bayley.

7. “The Vision” Bronn Breakker and Bronson Reed vs. “The War Raiders” Erik and Ivar. Ivar is another local talent, but the story here was the babyface pop Breakker got. The crowd seemed genuinely surprised and pleased to see Breakker and Reed. This meant they came out to a pop, and it really continued all match with them getting cheers (and barks). This led to Breakker leaning into his own babyface style hot tag as he won with a spear.

“The Vision” Bronn Breakker and Bronson Reed defeated “The War Raiders” Erik and Ivar.

8. Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre in a steel cage match for the WWE Championship. The crowd response for these two was deserving of the main event. Drew cut a promo ahead of the match, complaining that it shouldn’t happen because it is the third leg of their upcoming Three Stages of Hell match in Germany. He attempted to walk off, but Cody ran down the ramp to bring him to the cage (and hit him with a popcorn). Fun match. Both men hit their finishers for close two counts. There was one clunky spot with Cody hitting a Cody Cutter from against the cage on the top rope. Aside from that, it was solid. The match ended when Cody climbed over the cage and hit the ground before Drew escaped through the door.

Cody Rhodes defeated Drew McIntyre in a steel cage match to retain the WWE Championship.

Overall, the show was solid. I wish these local crowds were hotter and more vocal (don’t we all aspire to be as great as some of these overseas crowds?). That could encourage WWE to do more televised shows here. I’m glad WWE came to Worcester.