The December 2025 finale of WWE Raw streamed live from Orlando, Florida, featuring thrilling WWE Raw title defenses as the Usos reclaimed the World Tag Team gold and Stephanie Vaquer maintained her reign as Women’s World Champion. Amid rising tensions with WrestleMania season fast approaching, the show set the tone for 2026 with surprise twists, fierce matches, and shifting allegiances.
Raw’s High Stakes: Championships and Future Feuds
WWE’s final Raw of the year was headlined by two title matches that pushed the champions to their limits. Stephanie Vaquer put her Women’s World Championship on the line in a triple threat bout against Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez, having previously defended against each challenger separately. Nikki Bella’s interference in Rodriguez’s last match with Vaquer added to the intensity and unpredictability of this showdown.
For tag team supremacy, AJ Styles and Dragon Lee entered as reigning World Tag Team Champions, determined to hold their ground against The Usos. The brothers Jimmy and Jey Uso, motivated by the desire to end their tag team title drought since April 2023, brought an emotional edge to the night’s main event.
The undercard offered high drama as Austin Theory competed in his first singles bout since returning to WWE, facing the legendary Rey Mysterio after pinning him in tag team action the previous week. The recurring presence of The Vision—a faction comprised of Theory, Bron Breakker, Logan Paul, Bronson Reed and their spokesperson Paul Heyman—underscored the shifting landscape of WWE’s power players and injected further tension into the show.
Tensions Run High as The Vision Asserts Its Dominance
Raw opened with Austin Theory’s return as a masked enforcer, drawing attention to his allegiance with The Vision. Rey Mysterio Jr., accompanied by his dog, made a confident arrival, while The Usos and Stephanie Vaquer entered discreetly but with determination and focus. Backstage, The Vision formed up before walking out to open the show, with Paul Heyman taking the mic to reflect on the future of WWE main events and CM Punk’s missed opportunity to join their ranks. Heyman invoked the specter of greats like Goldberg and John Cena to affirm The Vision as the next force in WWE.
As Heyman welcomed Theory into the group, CM Punk emerged to challenge Bron Breakker, teasing their upcoming title match on January 5th. Punk demanded a one-on-one conversation, which Breakker granted, setting the stage for a heated exchange about legacy, sacrifice, and wrestling’s burdens. Breakker’s resolve was palpable, promising to defend his family name and meet Punk’s intensity when they clash for the World Heavyweight title.
Women’s World Title Triple Threat: Vaquer, Bella, and Rodriguez Battle for Supremacy
The triple threat for the WWE Women’s World Championship pitted the dominant champion Stephanie Vaquer against persistent challengers Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez. The match exploded with energy and physicality, fueled by prior interference and unfinished business among all three competitors.
Early on, Bella declared “Ima legend!” only to be swiftly grounded by Rodriguez, who sought an early pin on Vaquer. The action quickly spilled outside the ring, with Bella controlling stretches and the commentary team noting that Judgement Day’s Dirty Dom Mysterio and JD McDonagh remain sidelined with injuries, adding pressure for a Rodriguez win to uplift the faction.
Back in the ring, Rodriguez’s sheer strength dominated until Vaquer’s counterattacks and Bella’s opportunistic maneuvers complicated matters. Submissions, splashes, and high-impact suplexes saw each woman inches from victory, with Vaquer’s technical prowess and Bella’s experience clashing in dramatic near-falls.
Bella imposed an STF on Rodriguez, but Raquel powered out and Vaquer capitalized with her double Devil’s Kiss, then delivered dueling meteoras and assaulted Bella with a dragonscrew. Bella’s ring awareness led her to trip Vaquer on the apron, prompting Rodriguez to dish out punishment on both opponents outside the ring. Twisting Vader bombs, springboard attempts, and rope-assisted armbars showcased the athleticism on display.
The match reached a fevered pitch with all three trading superplexes, jawbreakers, and finishers in quick succession. Eventually, Vaquer’s strategy paid off—after Rodriguez delivered a tahana bomb on Bella, Vaquer tossed Rodriguez from the ring and pinned Bella to retain the WWE Women’s World Championship, once again proving her resilience under heavy fire.
Gunther Embraces the Heel Role, Overpowers R-Truth
Former Intercontinental Champion Gunther relished the audience’s scorn, sporting a provocative shirt mocking John Cena’s recent loss. He told the Orlando crowd their anger was misplaced, blaming Cena for giving up. R-Truth, inspired by childhood loyalty to Cena, charged the ring and fought Gunther with heart, but Gunther’s size and skill prevailed.
Gunther cut down Truth with punishing strikes, executing a powerful lariat, a dominating powerbomb, and a savage sleeper hold that echoed his previous victories over legends like Cena and Goldberg. Truth tapped out, cementing Gunther’s status as one of WWE’s premier villains and prolonging his antagonistic campaign against the roster. Cena and Truth’s fates now serve as reminders that Gunther is targeting anyone who stands in his path.
Tag Team Chaos: The Kabuki Warriors, Ripley and Sky Intensify Rivalries
The WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions, Asuka and Kairi Sane (The Kabuki Warriors), made a splash during their entrance, taunting former challenger Rhea Ripley and her new ally Iyo Sky. Asuka, ever playful, mocked the crowd in Japanese, declaring herself superior and promising retribution for past disrespect. Ripley and Sky stormed the ring, compelling the champions to engage in a wild brawl that left both sides battered and sent the Kabuki Warriors retreating with their titles.
This confrontation set up a highly anticipated championship bout between the rival teams at the upcoming Raw, further spotlighting the women’s division and lighting the fuse on one of 2026’s early title feuds.
Young Stars and Returning Legends: Mysterio vs. Theory Escalates
Austin Theory, freshly rebranded and representing The Vision, looked to capitalize on his momentum against Rey Mysterio Jr. Theory’s new attitude was evident as he relentlessly targeted Mysterio’s long-injured hand, back, and knees, displaying a mean streak that suited his new faction.
Mysterio’s aerial maneuvers and trademark resilience gave him hope, leading to a flurry of high-impact counters and a textbook 619. However, Logan Paul’s interference tipped the scales, costing Theory the match by disqualification. Paul and Theory assaulted Mysterio post-match, but PENTA’s surprise arrival turned the tide. The masked luchador helped Mysterio fend off the attackers and left the ring to cheering fans, hinting at newly forming alliances for the new year.
Backstage Politics: Titles, Bidding, and Shifting Alliances
The night was rife with backroom dealings: Raquel Rodriguez faced pressure from Liv Morgan and Judgement Day, Gunther sized up a future showdown with R-Truth after some comic banter, Finn Balor vowed to carry Judgement Day into a stronger 2026 despite injury setbacks, and Trick Williams entered a bidding war between Raw and Smackdown. Established fixtures like New Day injected bravado with pointed promises, while Adam Pearce managed competing demands from women’s tag teams seeking championship spotlight. The pulsing undercurrent was WWE’s relentless hunger for relevance and supremacy, echoed by Becky Lynch and Women’s Intercontinental Champion Maxxine Dupri’s war of words in the ring.
Main Event: The Usos Achieve Redemption Against Styles and Dragon Lee
The final bout of the evening saw the World Tag Team Championship contested between two of WWE’s most decorated teams. The Usos (“Yeeting” through the crowd) entered with Jimmy’s confidence clashing quietly against Jey’s self-doubt—baggage from past losses casting a shadow. In their corner stood a shared goal: to recapture tag team gold and restore their status atop the division.
Styles and Dragon Lee displayed chemistry and tenacity, trading dazzling tag maneuvers and high-flying assaults that kept the Usos reeling early. Yet, the Usos executed savvy tactics—wearing down Dragon Lee, exploiting distractions, and using frequent tags to isolate the champions. Lee’s resilience produced near-falls, but the brothers relied on creative double teams to regain control. Styles, the veteran, stopped interference and fought back valiantly, delivering a trademark Styles Clash that almost ended the contest.
The closing minutes brought chaos as all four men collided, the crowd erupting in back-and-forth chants. Jimmy hit a massive Uso Splash, only for Styles to survive. Lee and Styles orchestrated comebacks, but a perfectly-timed double superkick from the Usos, followed by their signature 1D, brought the match to a close. Jimmy covered Styles for the pin, crowning the Usos nine-time World Tag Team Champions and unleashing a euphoric celebration as they exited through the crowd, fireworks capping their long-awaited redemption.
“how is this team not called Dragon Style?”
— Unnamed Fan, In-Arena Observation
What Comes Next: Royal Rumble Looms, New Storylines Ignite
As Raw concluded, speculation swirled around what January and the road to WrestleMania will bring. The Usos now sit atop the tag division with their ninth title reign, Jey Uso’s resolve restored alongside Jimmy. Stephanie Vaquer stands firm against all challengers, and a reinvigorated Women’s Tag Team rivalry promises more fireworks. With The Vision continuing to manipulate and antagonize, CM Punk’s looming clash with Bron Breakker, and Raw’s shifting alliances and budding feuds, the landscape is primed for seismic changes as WWE careens toward the Royal Rumble and the grand stage of WrestleMania. This finale delivered intensity, heartbreak, and hope—the essence of WWE Raw’s title defenses and a fitting prelude to an unpredictable new year.
