Tag: RAW

WWE Announces Tribute to AJ Styles for Next Week’s Raw in Atlanta

AJ Styles may have officially called it a career at the Royal Rumble, but WWE isn’t done celebrating “The Phenomenal One” just yet.

During this week’s episode of WWE Raw, the company announced that next Monday’s show in Atlanta, Georgia will feature a special “Tribute to AJ Styles.” While the on-screen graphic made it clear the night will honor the former WWE Champion, WWE did not confirm whether Styles himself will be in attendance.

Styles’ in-ring career came to a dramatic end at the Royal Rumble in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he passed out in Gunther’s Rear Naked Choke. The finish left little room for ambiguity, and WWE quickly framed it as the final chapter in one of the most decorated careers of the modern era.

Still, the speed of his exit surprised many fans. Unlike John Cena, who is currently receiving a year-long farewell tour, Styles’ retirement felt abrupt. After debuting in WWE at the 2016 Royal Rumble to one of the loudest reactions of the decade, Styles went on to become a multi-time WWE Champion, United States Champion, and Tag Team Champion over a ten-year run with the company. Before that, he had already established himself as the face of TNA and a top star in NJPW, even holding the IWGP Heavyweight Championship.

With so many of his longtime friends and rivals now working in AEW, speculation about Styles potentially following a similar path began almost immediately after his “retirement.” So far, however, there has been no concrete confirmation regarding his next move.

The announcement of a tribute on Raw adds another interesting wrinkle to the situation. Whether Styles appears live in Atlanta or not, WWE dedicating a full segment to honor him suggests the company still views him as an important part of its legacy. That alone may cool some of the immediate talk about a jump elsewhere — or at least delay it.

For now, fans will be watching closely to see how WWE handles the tribute and whether “The Phenomenal One” makes a surprise appearance in his home state. In wrestling, retirements are rarely permanent — and when it comes to AJ Styles, nothing feels entirely off the table.

WWE Raw Preview 2/16/2026

WWE Raw airs live today on Netflix, beginning at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT from the FedEx Forum in Memphis, Tennessee.

  • Men’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Je’Von Evans vs. Gunther vs. Dominik Mysterio
  • Women’s Elimination Chamber Qualifying Match: Asuka vs. Bayley vs. Nattie
  • An appearance by AJ Lee

WWE Raw Preview 2/9/2026

WWE Raw airs live tonight at 8pm ET on Netflix from the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

  • WWE World Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c) vs. Alpha Academy
  • Nattie vs. Maxxine Dupri
  • Elimination Chamber qualifying matches TBA
  • CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, The Vision, Stephanie Vaquer, Becky Lynch, Gunther, The New Day, and Iyo Sky set to appear

Bron Breakker Undergoes Surgery, WrestleMania Plans Now in Question

Bron Breakker’s momentum has hit an unfortunate roadblock, as a new report indicates the powerhouse star has undergone surgery to repair a significant hernia. The news comes via the Wrestling Observer, and as of now, there’s no clear timeline for when Breakker could be back in action.

The injury didn’t stop Breakker from making headlines during Royal Rumble weekend. Entering the Men’s Royal Rumble at No. 2, he was taken out before even stepping into the ring after being blindsided by a mysterious hooded attacker. Despite that, Breakker eventually made it into the match, only to be eliminated later on by Oba Femi.

What raised eyebrows was that Breakker still appeared on the RAW that followed, unleashing a chaotic rampage around the ringside area. His destruction became the backdrop for LA Knight confronting Logan Paul and Austin Theory, adding another layer of intrigue to an already wild segment. Paul Heyman later addressed the situation, claiming Breakker was looking for a fight with Knight, but said Knight had already been escorted from the arena. Heyman also suggested officials should remove Breakker as well, further teasing internal tension.

Behind the scenes, Breakker had been heavily rumored as Seth Rollins’ WrestleMania 42 opponent, though WWE never made the match official. Rollins is reportedly on track to be medically cleared in time for the show, but Breakker’s surgery now puts that potential showdown in doubt.

For now, WWE is keeping things quiet regarding Breakker’s recovery, leaving fans to wonder how long he’ll be sidelined and whether WrestleMania plans will need to change. Given how prominently he’s been featured, his absence would be a significant shake-up — both creatively and on the road to WrestleMania.

WWE Raw Preview 2/2/2026

WWE Raw airs live tonight on Netflix from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  • Fallout from Royal Rumble
  • Women’s World Championship (Philadelphia Street Fight): Stephanie Vaquer (c) vs. Raquel Rodriguez
  • CM Punk, Rhea Ripley, Jey Uso, and Penta listed to appear

Backstage Update Brings Relief on Rey Mysterio’s Status Ahead of Royal Rumble

Rey Mysterio had WWE fans holding their breath following a scary moment on this week’s episode of RAW. The Hall of Famer appeared to suffer an injury during his singles match with Austin Theory, sparking immediate concern with the Royal Rumble just days away.

The match itself descended into chaos thanks to interference from The Vision — Logan Paul, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed — which ultimately allowed Theory to pick up the win. However, the focus quickly shifted after the final bell when Mysterio was seen clutching his arm. The referee throwing up the dreaded “X” signal only added to the alarm, and Mysterio was notably absent from the post-match angle as medical personnel escorted him to the back.

Given WWE’s history of blending real injuries into storylines, fans were left wondering whether this was all part of the show or a legitimate issue that could derail Mysterio’s plans.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, there’s reason for optimism. Meltzer reports that the injury is not believed to be serious, and as of now, Mysterio is still expected to compete in the 30-man Royal Rumble match in Riyadh.

That’s significant news considering Mysterio only returned to action in November 2025 after missing seven months with a torn groin. At 51 years old, any physical setback naturally raises red flags, but WWE reportedly has no plans at this time to remove him from the Royal Rumble lineup.

While WWE will undoubtedly continue to monitor the situation closely, the early word backstage suggests this was more of a scare than a setback — a welcome update for fans hoping to see the legendary luchador shine on one of WWE’s biggest stages.

Rey Mysterio Reportedly Suffered An Injury In WWE Raw Match With Austin Theory

Rey Mysterio’s road to the Royal Rumble may have hit an unexpected roadblock.

The WWE Hall of Famer was reportedly injured during this week’s episode of WWE Raw while competing in a singles rematch against Austin Theory. The bout was set up earlier in the show by Raw General Manager Adam Pearce, stemming from last week’s six-man tag team match that saw Mysterio team with Penta and Dragon Lee against Theory, Logan Paul, and Bronson Reed.

That prior encounter ended with controversy, as Pearce appeared just as Logan Paul attempted to use brass knuckles. The distraction allowed Mysterio to get his hands on the weapon and strike Theory, scoring the pinfall victory. On Raw, however, Theory managed to even the score — albeit with plenty of help.

During the rematch, interference from The Vision turned the tide. Penta and Dragon Lee rushed the ring to counter the numbers advantage, leading to a chaotic brawl at ringside. Amid the confusion, Theory capitalized by hitting a stomp on Mysterio to secure the pin.

Things only escalated after the bell. The Vision continued their assault on the luchadors, and Bron Breakker made his presence felt. Cameras quickly cut away as Breakker lined up Mysterio for a spear. When the broadcast returned, it was Penta who took the spear, followed by a Tsunami from Bronson Reed.

Despite the production switch, it was later reported that Mysterio had been legitimately hurt during the match itself. According to BodySlam’s Cory Hays, Rey was assisted to the back by WWE medical personnel following the segment, raising immediate concern about his condition.

The timing is especially unfortunate, as Mysterio is currently advertised for this Saturday’s Royal Rumble match. As of now, WWE has not confirmed the severity of the injury, nor whether Rey will be medically cleared to compete or pulled from the Rumble altogether.

Given Mysterio’s history of battling through injuries — and his importance to WWE’s ongoing storylines — fans will be anxiously awaiting updates on his status in the coming days.

WWE Raw Preview 1/26/2026

WWE Raw airs live today on Netflix from Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

WWE Raw ring announcer Alicia Taylor, is stuck at the airport due to the winter storm and unable to make it to tonight’s show. Lilian Garcia will fill in for Alicia tonight.

  • World Tag Team Championship No. 1 Contender’s Fatal Four-Way Match: The New Day vs. American Made vs. Alpha Academy vs. Los Americanos
  • AJ Styles and Gunther are scheduled to appear ahead of their match at the Royal Rumble
  • World Heavyweight Championship CM Punk set to appear after defending the title in Belfast
  • General Manager Adam Pearce to address Bron Breakker “fits into the future of the flagship”

AJ Styles Will Put His Career On The Line Against GUNTHER At WWE Royal Rumble

AJ Styles is officially walking into the most dangerous match of his WWE career.

On the latest episode of WWE Raw, Styles confirmed that he has accepted GUNTHER’s brutal stipulation for their upcoming clash at the Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: if Styles loses, his career is over.

The tension between the two started brewing in the fallout from GUNTHER’s shocking submission victory over John Cena in what was billed as Cena’s retirement match. Since forcing Cena to tap out at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December, the self-proclaimed “Ring General” has been on a victory lap, boasting weekly on Raw about ending the career of one of WWE’s greatest icons. That arrogance didn’t sit well with Styles, another longtime rival of Cena who felt compelled to step in and humble GUNTHER.

Their first encounter took place last week on Raw in Berlin, Germany, and it delivered exactly the kind of hard-hitting, technical battle fans expected. Styles appeared to have GUNTHER beaten after locking in the Calf Crusher and clearly forcing a tap out. The problem? The referee didn’t see it. While Styles argued his case, GUNTHER capitalized on the distraction and escaped with a controversial victory, leaving a massive question mark hanging over the result.

That unresolved finish led Styles to demand a rematch this week. GUNTHER, however, wasn’t interested in a simple do-over. Instead, he raised the stakes dramatically, agreeing to face Styles again only if “The Phenomenal One” was willing to put his entire career on the line. Initially hesitant, Styles later made his decision clear in a backstage segment with Raw General Manager Adam Pearce, officially accepting the challenge.

Now the rematch is set, and the implications couldn’t be bigger. This will be GUNTHER’s third match since retiring John Cena, and he’ll be looking to add another legendary name to his list by ending AJ Styles’ career on one of WWE’s biggest international stages.

Whether this marks the final chapter for Styles or another defining moment in GUNTHER’s dominant reign remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Royal Rumble just became must-see viewing.

WWE Raw Preview 1/19/2026

WWE Raw airs live today on Netflix from the SSE Arena in Belfast, Ireland, with a special start time of 3:00 pm ET/12:00 pm PT.

  • Gunther to open the show
  • WWE Women’s Intercontinental Championship: Becky Lynch (c) vs. Maxxine Dupri
  • Rey Mysterio, Dragon Lee & Penta vs. The Vision (Logan Paul, Bronson Reed & Austin Theory) with Paul Heyman
  • WWE World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs. Finn Balor (non-title)
  • El Grande Americano vs. Je’Von Evans