AJ Styles is on Fire, Don't Go With the Obvious Royal Rumble Pick, More WWE Raw Fallout

The January 26 edition of Raw on Netflix delivered the final go-home hype for Royal Rumble 2026 from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

CM Punk gave AJ Styles what could be his final World Heavyweight Championship opportunity, but Finn Bálor caused a disqualification before a definitive result.

Bron Breakker returned to Raw where he and The Vision were given spots in the men's Royal Rumble match.

Stephanie Vaquer joined Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky to take down The Judgment Day, but La Primera continued to brawl with Raquel Rodriguez later in the night.

Alpha Academy picked up a shocking upset win to earn a shot at the World Tag Team Championships.

Each result and more from Raw set the stage for Royal Rumble 2026.

AJ Styles Keeps Showing Why It's Too Soon to Retire

After delivering a memorable match with Shinsuke Nakamura at Saturday Night's Main Event, AJ Styles turned back the clock with CM Punk in their main event clash.

It felt like another tease that the end could be on the horizon for The Phenomenal One, though the non-finish also opens up the possibility of him asking for a rematch if he does not retire at the Royal Rumble.

Styles' performances in 2026 have consistently stolen the show, and it is disappointing that it could all end on Saturday night.

The best option remains for Styles to defeat Gunther this weekend, even if The Ring General needs to get his heat back by winning the men's Rumble on the same night.

Nothing in WWE has more weight at this time than the upcoming retirement of Styles.

However, it is not yet time to give that up when WWE can give more spotlight to one of the all-time great performers in wrestling history.

Finn Bálor Needs More Wins

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Finn Bálor again found his way into the main event scene, but what has he done to earn that spot?

The Prince has lost repeatedly on television over the past few years, leaving him without serious credibility as a singles star.

He got a shot at CM Punk because WWE was on tour in Ireland, and he lost clean.

A vicious beatdown of The Best in the World will not suddenly make him a mainstay in the main event scene; he needs genuine wins.

On the road to WrestleMania, before Bálor gets a World Heavyweight Championship rematch, The Prince must win against quality opponents.

Bron Breakker is Too Obvious a Pick to Win Royal Rumble

Bron Breakker is back, and no one makes more sense at the moment to win the men's Royal Rumble match.

While he lost to CM Punk in his first challenge, a rematch against The Badass is the best option for The Best in the World at WrestleMania.

However, since this is such an obvious booking, WWE should at least consider an alternative. Breakker can always fall short but win at Elimination Chamber instead.

The Rumble match should never be too obvious to predict. When that happens, fans can turn against the result.

That is a bad way to set the stage for Breakker's main event run in 2026.

Women's Royal Rumble Build Has Been Non-Existent

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Who is the favorite in the women's Royal Rumble match? While certain stars stand out as potential WrestleMania opponents for Stephanie Vaquer and Jade Cargill, none have been built steadily ahead of the Rumble.

Liv Morgan is an interesting option for La Primera, who has been feuding with The Judgment Day since she won the Women's World Championship.

A surprise return from Bianca Belair would make the most sense for a challenge to Cargill. The only other obvious answer would be Charlotte Flair, who should not win a third Rumble at this stage of her career.

As far as established challengers are concerned, Jordynne Grace and Raquel Rodriguez are going after the champions at present, but neither comes off as a 'Mania challenger.

Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are focused on the Women's Tag Team Championships. Others like Asuka and Alexa Bliss are also more tag team-focused.

Too few competitors are selling this Rumble as must-win, and that is hurting the hype for the women's scene on the road to WrestleMania.

Alpha Academy Should Win Tag Titles

Otis and Akira Tozawa have struggled over the past few years to find a reliable spot on the WWE roster.

That could change in 2026 after Alpha Academy finally picked up a win on Raw, setting the stage for a World Tag Team Championships opportunity.

At first glance, this comes off as a filler challenge for Jey and Jimmy Uso, but it could mean so much more.

Alpha Academy has done the work year after year and can perform at a championship level when challenged.

That was clear in the No. 1 Contender's match. It can be showcased again in their title challenge of The Usos.

A shock win, following the success of Maxxine Dupri in 2025, could get Otis and Tozawa back into the conversation and add an interesting element to the tag division.

The beatable underdogs can face a number of teams on the road to WrestleMania and defend the gold at The Show of Shows against a variety of competition.

This is more interesting than The Usos acting above a tag division that is hardly a priority for Raw at present.