WWE Monday Night Raw Results and Recap: AJ Styles On Raw, One Last Time? (January 26, 2026)

This article contains spoilers and results from WWE Monday Night Raw for January 26, 2026. You have been warned!It’s the go home episode of WWE Monday Night Raw from Toronto, Canada, and potentially the very last Raw we get to see The Phenomenal One be a part of. Ahead of his match with Gunther at this weekend’s Royal Rumble, AJ Styles will challenge CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship in your main event.

Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez, and Raquel Rodriguez face Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, and Stephanie Vaquer in six-woman tag team action, and Natalya addresses the crowd after her betrayal of Maxxine Dupri last week. The New Day faces off against American Made, Alpha Academy, and Los Americanos in tag team action to determine who will be the number one contenders for the World Tag Team Championships, and Bron Breakker returns from his suspension to speak to Adam Pearce.

Here Are Your Results From WWE Monday Night Raw For January 26, 2026

• Rhea Ripley, IYO SKY, and Stephanie Vaquer def. Liv Morgan, Roxanne Perez, and Raquel Rodriguez via pinfall
• Austin Theory def. Rey Mysterio via pinfall
• Alpha Academy def. Los Americanos, American Made, and The New Day via pinfall to become the number one contenders for the World Tag Team Championships
• CM Punk vs. AJ Styles ends in a no contest after interference by Finn Balor

Here Are Your Key Moments From WWE Monday Night Raw For January 26, 2026

• ​​​AJ Styles opens the show to loud applause and a show of respect from the Toronto crowd. He says that Gunther is claiming he’s going to end his WWE career this Saturday, but he’s not going anywhere. He reminds the crowd that 2026 is the year that AJ Styles retires. He says 2025 was the Year of John Cena, and there’s no reason why 2026 can’t be the Year of AJ Styles. He says there’s locker rooms full of people all over the world that he could wrestle one more time, but he wants to be world champion one more time. He’s not saying that Gunther isn’t great, but he’s not phenomenal. CM Punk’s music hits and he enters the arena. He says he’s been friends with Styles for 20 plus years, and he asks him what he’s doing at the Royal Rumble. He says guys like them still have plenty of gas left in the tank and to have amazing moments together. Styles asks Punk if he thinks he can’t beat Gunther, but Punk says that the world saw him beat him, but he didn’t get his hand raised. Styles says that Punk is coming across disrespectful, but Punk says he’s being selfish. Styles says he knows he can beat Gunther, and he knows he can beat him. Styles says if they do fight tonight, and he beats Gunther on Saturday, he’ll be the number one contender for the World Heavyweight Championship. Punk says that he will be a fighting champion, and they’re going to do it tonight, the title’s on the line. The match is official and it’s your main event.
• Finn Balor confronts CM Punk in the back, and he tells him that, although he didn’t win, he was a part of the most important match of his career. He says while he got his flowers from Punk, he didn’t return them, so he says thank you. Punk says he gives title shots to those who earn it, and there are not many guys left like them. He says Balor needs to think about what his legacy is going to be, and he needs to ditch Judgment Day. Punk tells Balor to win the Rumble and, when he does, he’ll see him in Vegas.
• The Vision and Paul Heyman are in the ring. He says tonight he’s brought The Pressure, The Tribal Thief, and The Maverick with him, but he’s brought with him the reason the arena is sold out tonight, Bron Breakker. He says he’s here to talk to Adam Pearce face-to-face tonight and offers multiple issues with how Pearce has been handling The Vision over the past few weeks. He tells Pearce to come to the ring. Pearce says he admits that things got out of hand, and he admits that he did put his hands on Breakker first. He apologizes, and says it will not happen again. He lifts Breakker’s suspension and puts him in the Royal Rumble. Pearce tells Heyman he’s a tremendous negotiator, and tells The Vision they’re all in the Rumble, too. He tells Austin Theory that because of the brass knuckles, he may have won, and he gives him a chance at redemption against Rey Mysterio in singles action.
• Natalya says she used to believe in Maxxine Dupri, but she’s just like the rest, and that she’s ready to show her exactly what she’s made of. She tells her once she’s done with her, she’s coming after Becky Lynch and the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. She says Natalya elevates, but Nattie dominates, effectively bringing her Living Legend persona to WWE.
• Gunther sits with Michael Cole to discuss his match with AJ Styles. Cole asks him why not just have the rematch, why force him to put his career on the line. Gunther says he has a lot to gain with this stipulation by beating him for his career. Gunther says that he’s sick of the old timers sticking around chasing glory, and that Goldberg and John Cena were chasing something. He took those moments away from them, just like he’ll take whatever it is Styles wants. He asks Cole how long he’s got left here, too, chasing moments, and he could kick his chair out and end his career now. He wants Cole at the Rumble to make the call that Styles’ career is over.
• Finn Balor meets Adam Pearce and declares himself in the Royal Rumble. Pearce says that, because he had his shot at the World Heavyweight Championship, and the Rumble’s full. Balor says that no Rumble is full without him. Pearce says he’s sorry, there’s nothing he can do. After he leaves, Liv Morgan stops him and asks him what’s going on with CM Punk, and that he doesn’t actually doesn’t want him to win the title, but The Judgment Day does. Balor tells her that it’s not as straightforward as it seems, and he needs to figure it out himself.
• Bronson Reed is talking to the rest of The Vision and he says the dynamics have changed sicne they all made it into the Royal Rumble. Logan Paul says that although they’re all in together, they need to be aligned to make sure that one of them wins it, and that person in their group should be Bron Breakker. The rest of the group agrees as Breakker nods.

If It’s AJ Styles’ Last Raw, He Went Out With A Bang

WWE is purposefully playing the remaining time of AJ Styles’ close to the vest, not giving an inch in either direction as to how much time he truly has left. Although it ended in a surprise twist, the match itself gave every bit of a classic performance from each of them as possible, adding a potential final chapter to his legacy in WWE.

It’s a solid send off, if it is one, for Styles, who coyly mentioned he’s ending his “WWE career” this year, which fans have already started to speculate the subtext surrounding that comment. It’s certainly not out of the realm of possibility to see him end up in Japan against Kenny Omega one last time, but if this truly is Styles’ last run, there’s no better way for him to end it than with this match against CM Punk.

Finn Balor Begins A Change – Could He Win The Royal Rumble?

Finn Balor put on an incredible fight last week against CM Punk, and although he came up empty-handed, it feels like a change is in progress with him. This was further reinforced on Raw tonight, as Balor appeared conflicted about whether to stay with The Judgment Day, or to chart a new course for himself alone, until he interrupted the main event, ending the match in a no-contest by attacking CM Punk.

Balor certainly feels like a serious contender right now to win the Rumble, as Sami Zayn is now in the WWE Undisputed Championship match against Drew McIntyre and his serious beating leveled onto Punk made him one of Punk’s top foes in a matter of seconds. Among a crowded field of participants, including the dominant Bron Breakker, Finn Balor seems like a formidable foil to The Vision’s plans, and would be a worthy challenger for the Big Gold 2.0, as well as finally having a main event WrestleMania moment.