3 Ups & 4 Downs From WWE Raw (29 December - Results & Review)
Punk, Breakker do the hard sell for next week, Usos overcome themselves, Dupri outshines Theory.
Just in case anyone was tempted to write/utter/think that nothing of consequence happens on WWE programming during the holidays, Raw closed out 2025 with a title change that sent fans home happy. But Raw this week faced the dual challenge of overcoming the holiday doldrums and the reality that next week’s loaded Netflix one-year anniversary show is effectively the season premiere. That left Raw flat at times and somewhat inconsequential, despite the title switch.
WWE continues to insist that Austin Theory is more than “a guy,” and the evidence just isn’t there. Meanwhile, Maxxine Dupri showed more charisma in one promo than Theory has in three years.
CM Punk and Bron Breakker delivered a solid go-home promo for their World Heavyweight Championship match next week, despite both men already having put in the work in previous efforts. The women’s tag title match, however, had a basic, boilerplate promotion segment that did little to enhance that rivalry.
And then there was the title change, with the Usos becoming nine-time Tag Team Champions in a match that was “meh” for the first two-thirds and heated up in the closing act. Evaluating the title switch itself is a bit more difficult: they needed to win to advance the redemption (and eventual falling out) angle, but what does it say about AJ Styles and Dragon Lee that they lost to wrestlers who have been scuffling and doubting themselves for months? The jury is still out on this one.
Let’s get to it…