Two championships changed hands on the January 5 episode of WWE Raw, as Becky Lynch regained singles gold and new Women’s Tag Team Champions were crowned.
Lynch defeated Maxxine Dupri to become a two-time WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion, ending Dupri’s reign through a controversial finish. Late in the match, Dupri locked Lynch in the Ankle Lock and appeared close to retaining the title. As Dupri transitioned to the floor, Lynch countered by bridging her into a pinning combination and grabbing the ropes to secure the three-count.
Following the match, Lynch celebrated her title victory while Dupri remained in the ring, visibly stunned by the result.
Dupri originally won the championship in November by pinning Lynch, earning her first title in WWE. That victory came after Lynch was distracted by the return of AJ Lee, allowing Dupri to capitalise with a crossbody. Dupri also defeated Lynch twice more in non-title encounters, establishing herself as a consistent obstacle for the former champion.
After losing the title and suffering a defeat at War Games, Lynch refused to appear on Raw in protest, launching a self-imposed boycott. Lynch eventually returned and confronted Dupri, leading to Monday night’s title rematch.
Which Other Title Changed Hands On WWE Raw?
Earlier in the night, Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley captured the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship by defeating The Kabuki Warriors in the opening match of the show. The finish saw Ripley deliver Riptide to Asuka before Sky connected with Over The Moonsault, with Ripley scoring the pinfall.
The victory marked Sky’s third reign as Women’s Tag Team Champion and Ripley’s second.
The two teams had been locked in a rivalry for several months following the Kabuki Warriors’ betrayal of Sky, their former ally. They first met at Crown Jewel in November, where Sky and Ripley earned a win, though Asuka and Kairi Sane continued targeting the challengers in the weeks that followed, including an incident where both Sky and Ripley were misted.
Heading into Raw, several teams had also made their intentions clear in the tag title picture, including Lash Legend and Nia Jax, along with former champions Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss. All four teams competed in an eight-woman tag team match on SmackDown, with Sky, Ripley, Flair, and Bliss emerging victorious.
With two championships changing hands, WWE Raw opened the new year with major shifts in the women’s division.
