By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
WWE Raw (Episode 1,701)
Orlando, Florida, at Kia Center
Streamed live December 29, 2025, on Netflix
[Hour One] Joe Tessitore opened the show on commentary while the exterior of the host venue was shown… A video package recapped Austin Theory’s actions on last week’s Raw…
Tessitore narrated backstage shots of Rey Mysterio and a dog, the Usos, Stephanie Vaquer, and Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, Paul Heyman, and Austin Theory. The Vision and Theory were shown walking through the Gorilla position before they made their entrance.
A CM Punk chant broke. Heyman told the fans that Punk could have been in the ring with him, but he was a stupid ass who listened to the fans rather than him. Heyman said that in five years, fans will obsessively scroll through a platform and will see the image of the wrestlers in the ring, and they will be WrestleMania main eventers.
Heyman introduced Austin Theory as the newest member of The Vision. Heyman raised Theory’s arm and then handed him the mic. Theory said he’d waited his whole life for this moment. Fans booed. He said he worked his entire career for this moment.
Theory said the first thing he wanted to talk about was the next World Heavyweight Champion, Bron Breakker. Theory asked Heyman to help him with the next part. Heyman said the goals of the Vision outweigh the individual needs of any athlete inside the group.
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk’s entrance music played. Punk walked onto the stage and mocked Theory for drinking gallons of Heyman’s Kool-Aid. Punk said he was there to speak with Breakker, not Theory.
Punk said he could go to the ring and the Vision members could all attack him, but then there wouldn’t be a title match on January 5. Punk started to walk to the ring and said he likes to look a man in the eye before he puts him to sleep. Punk stood at ringside and said that unless Breakker is afraid, he should get his guys out of the ring so they could clear the air face-to-face.
Breakker told Punk that they wouldn’t hurt him and invited him to enter the ring. Punk entered the ring as everyone other than Breakker exited. Punk got in Breakker’s face and asked him what he had. Breakker spoke of the shared vision that he and his faction mates share.
Breakker said he will be the next World Heavyweight Champion. Breakker said he’s tired of Punk and others saying that one day he’ll figure it out and headline WrestleMania. “I’m not the future, I am the now,” Breakker declared.
Breakker said Punk thinks he had everything handed to him. Breakker said he’s lived under a microscope. Breakker noted that he shared the field with NFL star Lamar Jackson. Breakker said he and Punk are not the same. He told Punk that he’s willing to die on January 5. He said he knows Punk is willing to do the same, and then said he would let him while he becomes the new World Heavyweight Champion.
Punk said Breakker’s mistake was thinking that he knows what he thinks of him. Punk said Breakker is ready. “There’s one problem, Bron, I’m not ready,” Punk said. He removed the title belt and let it fall to the ground. Punk spoke about the weight of carrying the championship and said he’s not ready to give up the title. He said somebody will beat him for the title someday, but it won’t be Breakker. Punk told Breakker he would see him on the fifth and then exited the ring…
Jackie Redmond interviewed Raquel Rodriguez in a backstage area. Rodriguez said there would be no tricks, and nothing would stand in the way of her becoming Women’s World Champion. Liv Morgan interrupted and said she knew things had been strange, but she knew Rodriguez would become the new champion. Rodriguez emphasized that she wants to win the title on her own. Morgan mentioned something that Roxanne Perez said. Perez showed up and wished Rodriguez good luck. Rodriguez said she wouldn’t need luck…
Nikki Bella made her entrance for the Women’s World Championship match before the first commercial break… [C]
Powell’s POV: The Punk and Breakker verbal exchange was effective in terms of building up next week’s match. Punk came off as confident as ever. Breakker played it the same way until Punk wrapped up the promo, and then it looked like he was annoyed by Punk’s words. Also, WrestleTix listed the host venue as being set up for 12,823. Roughly an hour before the show, 12,696 tickets had been distributed. The listed capacity for the venue is 20,000.
The end of Raquel Rodriguez’s entrance was shown, and then Stephanie Vaquer’s full entrance was televised… Tessitore was joined on commentary by Wade Barrett…
1. Stephanie Vaquer vs. Nikki Bella vs. Raquel Rodriguez in a Triple Threat for the Women’s World Championship. Ring announcer Alicia Taylor delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Tessitore said Dominik Mysterio was out indefinitely with a shoulder injury. Nikki ran Vaquer into the barricade and then sent Rodriguez crashing into the ring steps. [C]
Vaquer was about to perform the Devil’s Kiss on Nikki, but Rodriguez broke it up for good heat. Nikki wrenched Rodriguez’s leg over the ropes. Vaquer performed a crossbody block on Rodriguez. Nikki tossed Vaquer out of the ring.
Vaquer returned and hit the Devil’s Kiss on Rodriguez. A “one more time” chant broke out. Vaquer performed a dragon screw leg whip on Nikki. Vaquer followed up with another on Rodriguez, who ended up regaining offensive control heading into a break. [C]
All three wrestlers ended up on the ropes, which led to Nikki being on pulling Rodriguez from the ropes with a powerbomb, while Rodriguez superplexed Vaquer in a big tower of doom spot. A graphic listed a Stranger Things crossover for next week’s Raw. In the ring, Rodriguez put Nikki down with a Tejana Bomb. Vaquer cleared Rodriguez from the ring and then pinned Nikki.
Stephanie Vaquer beat Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez in a Triple Threat in 17:00 to retain the Women’s World Championship.
Powell’s POV: Vaquer retaining was expected, but I’m pleasantly surprised that Rodriguez was more than protected. It was Rodriguez’s move put away Nikki, only Vaquer was able to steal the pin. I’m also a little surprised that Liv Morgan and Roxanne Perez didn’t get involved despite Rodriguez’s request.
Backstage, Jackie Redmond asked Gunther about his behavior being classified as disrespectful since he beat John Cena. Gunther smiled and started to boast, but R-Truth interrupted him. Truth said Gunther singing the same old song makes him “a piece of…” Truth whispered in Gunther’s ear. Gunther’s facial expression changed, but then he laughed at Truth and asked if this was meant as a challenge. Gunther told Truth that he’d see him in the ring…
WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions “The Kabuki Warriors” Asuka and Kairi Sane made their entrance dressed in non-wrestling attire… [C] Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles was shown in the crowd… Highlights aired of Asuka beating Rhea Ripley with a distraction rollup on last week’s Raw…
Asuka and Sane delivered an in-ring promo. Asuka called the fans stupid babies. Sane used the word “baka” to describe the fans. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky came out and fought with Asuka and Sane. Ripley dropped Asuka with a superkick in the ring. Sane drove Sky’s back into the edge of the broadcast table.
[Hour Two] Ripley left the ring to check on Sky. Asuka and Sane took advantage of the distraction and worked over Ripley while Sky was down. Sky eventually returned to prevent an Insane Elbow. Ripley and Sky cleared Asuka and Sky from the ring. Tessitore hyped the teams meeting for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles on next week’s show…
Powell’s POV: A solid brawl that reestablished that Sky is injured going into next week’s title match. I’m curious to see how WWE will work Stranger Things into next week’s show. Will it be as simple as having some of the cast in attendance? How about the Americanos enter the Upside Down and never return?
Rey Mysterio was warming up when CM Punk approached him. Rey said he knew Punk was going to say that he had his back, but Rey said he was good. Rey said Punk had a title to protect next week. “Heyman isn’t the only one in the favor business,” Rey said before adding that he was covered tonight…
Gunther made his entrance for his match with R-Truth… [C]
2. Gunther vs. R-Truth. Gunther was dominant, but Truth caught him in a sleeper. Gunther escaped and then dropped Truth with a big chop. Gunther followed up with a short-arm clothesline. Gunther mocked Truth with a “you can’t see me” hand gesture. Truth fired up and hit a couple of shoulder blocks. Gunther dropped Truth with a big boot. Gunther powerbombed Truth and had him beat, but he opted to pull him up. Gunther applied the sleeper and barked at Truth to give up. Truth tapped out.
Gunther defeated R-Truth in 3:30.
Powell’s POV: A brief match that gave Gunther a dominant win over one of John Cena’s buddies. It will be interesting to see who Gunther’s next feud will be with.
Jey Uso was seated in a locker room. Jimmy Uso entered the room and was fired up about their tag title shot. Jimmy noticed that Jey was down. Jey explained that things haven’t been going his way. He said he didn’t want to put his brother in a bad spot. Jimmy said the only bad spot is in Jey’s head. Jimmy ran through some of Jey’s credentials and asked if he was alright. Jey stood up and said yeet. They shook hands… [C]
An Oba Femi video package aired…
World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee were talking backstage when an enthusiastic Je’Von Evans showed up. Styles asked Evans what he was doing at Raw. Evans said Adam Pearce wanted to speak with him.
El Grande Americano, Bravo, and Rayo showed up. El Grande had words for Evans, who stood up for himself. Styles and Lee stepped forward to show they had Evans’ back. Julius Creed, Brutus Creed, and Ivy Nile were shown watching in the background…
Powell’s POV: I assume the American Made crew watching in the distance means Chad Gable will be returning soon. Gable has been out since undergoing rotator cuff surgery in July.
Austin Theory was getting ready for his match. Paul Heyman asked if he was going to let Rey Mysterio ruin this for him. Bron Breakker welcomed Theory to The Vision. Theory acknowledged The Tribal Thief. Logan Paul told Theory they have his back. Heyman told Logan to take Theory to the ring and have his back…
Rey Mysterio made his entrance for his match against Austin Theory… [C] Tessitore plugged the WWE podcast schedule and spotlighted John Cena’s appearance on Cody Rhodes’ show…
Austin Theory posed on the stage while a spotlight was on him as part of his new entrance. He jawed into the camera about how this is his time, and then he headed to the ring. Once in the ring, Theory flexed under the spotlight…
3. Austin Theory (w/Logan Paul) vs. Rey Mysterio. Rey jumped from the ropes and put Theory down with a huracanrana. Theory came right back by putting Rey down with an elbow to the head. Theory performed a somersault through the ropes, but Rey used a head scissors to get him in position for a 619. Theory rolled to the floor to avoid it. Theory caught a diving Rey in powerbomb position and then slammed him into the ring post before powerbombing him on the apron. [C]
Theory got Rey in Torture Rack position and wrenched on him. Rey spun out of it and DDT’d Theory. Rey followed up with a 619. Rey set up for another move, but Logan Paul tripped him for the DQ finish.
Rey Mysterio defeated Austin Theory by DQ in 7:30.
Penta made his entrance, which stopped Theory and Paul from attacking Mysterio. Penta and Mysterio cleared the heels from the ring and stood tall…
Powell’s POV: I would have lost a bet on that match. The DQ finish was surprising given that it was Theory’s first singles match since he joined The Vision. Theory’s entrance brought back memories of Lex Luger’s entrance during his run as The Narcissist (minus the mirrors). It’s good to see Penta back for the first time since he suffered a shoulder injury during his match against Solo Sikoa on November 24.
Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky were featured in a promo video. Ripley said Asuka is delusional. Ripley said Asuka turned on Sky and now hides behind Sane. Ripley said Asuka beat her last week, but it’s the first and last time. Ripley said she will break Asuka. Sky said Sane is lost, and it’s too late for her because she’s chosen the wrong path. Sky told Asuka that the student has become the master. Sky spoke of winning the tag team titles next week…
AJ Styles and Dragon Lee were shown warming up for their title defense… [C]
Women’s Intercontinental Champion Maxxine Dupri made her entrance for a promo. She spoke about having a good holiday and how she wouldn’t be the champion if it wasn’t for the fans. There was a “you deserve it” chant. Dupri said Lynch had to tap out because she wasn’t letting go. She started to talk about how she would retain next week, but she was interrupted by entrance music.
Becky Lynch stormed out. “How dare you?” she asked. “I did not tap out. The only thing I tapped out to was living in Orlando.” Lynch told the fans not to boo because they lost her; she said they should cheer because they had her. Lynch got on the apron and told the fans she should inspire them because if they get rich and famous, they can move too.
Dupri told Lynch to choose her next words wisely. She said that if she were to get ahold of Lynch’s ankle, she would break it or Lynch would submit again. Lynch said Dupri is “very, very moody.” Lynch said she came to give Dupri credit (she choked a couple of times before saying credit). Lynch said Dupri has done “a tiny bit better” and was able to steal the title, which is “not nothing.”
Dupri said the only thing she stole from Lynch was the spotlight. Dupri said she earned the title. She mocked Lynch’s line about how everybody, including Sports Illustrated, will be saying it. Lynch got upset and said she came out to be nice because she’s a very nice person.
Lynch asked if Dupri thinks four weeks of training in a dungeon will make up for the lifetime that she’s given to the business. She ran through some of her credentials and boasted that she’s the greatest female wrestler of all-time. She said SI and Bleacher Report are saying it.
Lynch said it’s not over until she wins, and she always finds a way to win. Lynch said all eyes will be on Dupri next week. She asked if Dupri will be everything the fans think she is or everything that Lynch knows she is. “Welcome to the big time,” Lynch said before leaving the ring…
Powell’s POV: Dupri’s mic work is nothing special, but it doesn’t have to be when she has Lynch carrying these verbal segments.
Raw General Manager Adam Pearce spoke with Trick Williams about seeing if they could find a way to get more of him on Mondays. Trick gave him his card. Pearce said he would put him on speed dial.
Lyra Valkyria and Bayley showed up after Trick left. Valkyria tried to make a case for getting a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles. Bayley yelled. Pearce said he could hear her. Bayley yelled more and stormed away. Valkyria told Pearce they’ve got next. Pearce called for someone off-camera to bring him a drink…
The broadcast team listed the following for next week’s Raw in Brooklyn, New York, at Barclays Center: The Stranger Things theme, The Kabuki Warriors vs. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Titles, Maxxine Dupri vs. Becky Lynch for the Women’s Intercontinental Title, and CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker for the World Heavyweight Championship…
The Usos made their entrance through the crowd… [C] Tessitore listed the attendance as a sellout with 13,611 in attendance… AJ Styles and Dragon Lee’s full entrances were televised. Alicia Taylor delivered in-ring introductions for the title match.
[Hour Three] The referee held up the tag team titles, and then the title match graphic was shown…
4. AJ Styles and Dragon Lee vs. Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso for the World Tag Team Titles. The champions cleared the challengers from the ring before the show went to break a couple of minutes into the match. [C] Jey threw a kick from the apron that dropped Styles while the referee was focused on legal man Jimmy. A graphic touted Damian Priest vs. Aleister Black in an Ambulance Match for Friday’s Smackdown.
Styles eventually tagged in Lee, who worked over Jimmy until he hit Lee with an enzuigiri and tagged out. Lee performed a sit-out powerbomb on Jey for a near fall. Lee had Jey down at ringside when he ran the ropes, only to be tripped by Jimmy, who ran him into the ring steps. Jimmy cleared the broadcast table. Styles ran over and jumped off the ring steps before hitting Jimmy with a flying forearm. Jey hit Styles with a suicide dive that resulted in Styles lying on top of the broadcast table. “Me and you,” Jimmy told Jey while they sat on the ground. [C]
The Usos worked over Lee while Tessitore spoke about their edgier style in this match. Lee got Jimmy leaning over the middle rope and double stomped him before making a hot tag. Styles executed a ushigoroshi on Jey, who had also tagged in, and covered him for a near fall.
Jey superkicked Lee off the apron and then speared Styles. Jey dove to his corner and tagged Jimmy, who hit Styles with an Uso Splash for a strong near fall. Moments later, Lee performed a dive that took out Jimmy on the broadcast table. Styles rolled up Jey for a two count. Jey hit Styles, who came right back with a Pele Kick. Styles hit Jey with a Styles Clash and covered him for another good near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Styles draped Jey over the top rope, and then Lee double stomped him into position for the Styles Clash. Jimmy returned and broke it up. Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, but he was hit by a double superkick. The Usos followed up with a double superkick on Lee. The Usos hit 1D on Styles, and then Jey pinned him. “Number nine is mighty fine,” Tessitore said in reference to the Usos’ ninth tag title win.
Jimmy Uso and Jey Uso defeated AJ Styles and Dragon Lee in 18:40 to win the World Tag Team Titles.
Barrett said the “statistically greatest tag team in history just got statistically even greater with number nine.” The fans applauded the title change. The Usos went to the same section they made their entrance from and celebrated with the fans while pyro shot off on the stage. “What a way to say goodbye to 2025,” Tessitore said. He hyped next week’s one-year anniversary on Netflix edition of Raw. The executive producer credits were shown while the Usos continued to celebrate to end the show…
Powell’s POV: The closing minutes of the match were really good, and this was a fun way to close out the year on Raw. While the Usos were a bit heelish at times, the live crowd was happy to see the title change, and the Usos celebrated with the fans afterward, so I definitely wouldn’t label it a heel turn.
Overall, this was an average show until the title change at the end put it over the top. I will be back shortly with my weekly same-night audio review of Raw, which will be available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). You can also check out today’s free Pro Wrestling Boom podcast that I co-hosted with “Survivor” Hall of Famer Jonny Fairplay. Have a great New Year’s Eve, and here’s to a terrific 2026. Let me know what you thought of Raw by grading this week’s show.
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