WWE Fails Bron Breakker Again as Raw on Netflix Anniversary Falls Flat, More Fallout
WWE Raw started 2026 with a massive Netflix Anniversary show from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
CM Punk successfully defended his World Heavyweight Championship against Bron Breakker after Rey Mysterio, Penta and Dragon Lee made sure The Vision could not interfere.
Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky not only got revenge against Asuka and Kairi Sane but also captured the Women's Tag Team Championships.
Becky Lynch cheated her way to victory against Maxxine Dupri and regained the Women's Intercontinental Championship.
AJ Styles stepped up to Gunther and slapped him in the face for his disrespect toward John Cena.
Raquel Rodriguez made a statement at the expense of Stephanie Vaquer in a vicious attack, while Liv Morgan picked up a win over Lyra Valkyria.
This was an important night for WWE, but it did not deliver any true surprises going into the new year.
WWE Failed Bron Breakker Again
1 of 5In the aftermath of Seth Rollins' injury, Bron Breakker was perfectly positioned to be the man to take up the reigns as The Vision's leader.
Instead, he was forced to sit on the sidelines as Jey Uso and CM Punk fought for the World Heavyweight Championship.
This set the stage for WarGames where Breakker pinning Punk set the stage for his challenge on the Netflix anniversary.
While The Badass was not on the sidelines this time, he still fell short in his challenge for the world title.
Punk remains world champion in the midst of his seventh run with a WWE world title.
While The Best in the World has only been champion for just over two months, it still feels like the time was right for the title to change hands, mainly because of the man opposite him.
Fans are clamoring to see WWE commit to new young stars, and Breakker is top of the list after displaying all the necessary tools to be the guy.
This loss may be a temporary setback, but delaying the 28-year-old's win only serves to highlight how much less interesting Raw is without the young star on top.
Punk can still go and is about the most valuable veteran on the roster, but it does not feel like he needs to be champion, certainly not like Breakker needs it for himself and WWE.
Let Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky Run the Women's Tag Team Division for All of 2026
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Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky opened 2026 with a big championship victory, winning the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships for the first time together.
While both have been tag champions before, this feels like their biggest team win as they have built this team over the past year together.
This feels like a pairing that will stick in a division that has arguably never been more important. The women's tag team division is outshining the women's world titles lately.
This should not be a short-term reign. Ripley and Sky should run the women's tag division as champions throughout 2026. Even if they lose the titles, they should stay in contention and focus only on the tag division.
Both are multiple time world champions and will be world champions again past 2026, but the time is now to solidify the rise of the women's tag division.
Let the newly named Rhiyo become the centerpiece of this division that sets up memorable premium live event clashes against The Kabuki Warriors, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss, Lyra Valkyria and Bayley, The Judgment Day and more.
Gunther Should Not Retire AJ Styles
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Gunther has doubly defined himself as the man who retires legends after a year when he ended both Goldberg and John Cena's wrestling careers.
The next likely retiree is AJ Styles, who is already feuding with The Ring General. However, despite the easy story, it does not make sense for The Phenomenal One's final year to mirror those other legends.
The 48-year-old has been a top star in three different promotions: TNA, New Japan Pro-Wrestling and WWE. Throughout his career, he has always been a premier in-ring talent.
He can still compete at a high level, and WWE should utilize that in his final year. Let him compete with the future workhorses of the company and return for one last match in TNA.
Gunther can get a big win and match off Styles, but it should not be the end for The Phenomenal One. He deserves a unique finale.
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Time to Move on From Becky Lynch vs. Maxxine Dupri
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Becky Lynch has completed her story with Maxxine Dupri in every important way. The Man has brought her rival to the next level and added a championship to her legacy.
Lynch regained the gold she will likely defend against AJ Lee at WrestleMania 42 and should be able to move on from this angle.
Lynch and Dupri found their chemistry together in the ring, but they are still only delivering serviceable TV matches. Even though The Man cheated, there is little benefit in another match between the two in 2026.
Even with a major stipulation for a follow-up, it is difficult to get excited about their sixth match in five months when Lynch has so many fresher contests that could steal the show.
Meanwhile, Dupri should find another veteran who can keep elevating her. Perhaps it is time to make something of her alliance with Natalya.
SmackDown Outshines Netflix Anniversary
5 of 5The first show of 2026 was the January 2 edition of SmackDown where WWE delivered multiple surprises across the newly restored three-hour run-time.
Randy Orton returned in the opener, while Trick Williams made his first appearance as an official member of the blue brand, clearly selling his intention to become a world champion.
Matt Cardona made a shocking debut/return, winning his first match on SmackDown under his own name rather than with his previous moniker in WWE, Zack Ryder.
Giulia reclaimed the Women's United States Championship, while Carmelo Hayes made his first successful United States Championship defense.
Damian Priest and Aleister Black ended the show with a violent Ambulance match that should put their rivalry to bed.
All of this set major expectations for what WWE might do on the Netflix Anniversary show with a Stranger Things partnership making it especially important to Netflix.
Instead, WWE delivered the show as advertised with limited fanfare. The wrestling was good. Two titles changed hands, but neither was a major surprise.
There were no on-air NXT star appearances, though Je'Von Evans signed his Raw contract during a commercial break.
Major speculation about a Chris Jericho return turned out to be nothing but speculation, and no one else who appeared on Monday night was any kind of surprise.
Beyond a strong opener and main event given good time, this felt like business as usual for Raw, which was the closest this show had to a genuine surprise.
Monday's edition promised to echo the first-ever Raw on Netflix show as the anniversary of that night, but it also failed in that regard as the action and spectacle did not live up.
Serious hype led to a decent yet forgettable show, paling in comparison to the spectacle of both the first SmackDown of 2026 and last year's Raw on Netflix debut.
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