Fans Slam 3 WWE RAW Mistakes Before Christmas As Recycled Feuds, Dormant Titles Hurt Momentum

RAW served reheated rivalries and idle gold before Christmas, teasing why key divisions feel stuck before the Royal Rumble.

Holiday deja vu

WWE leaned hard into repeats across brands, serving matchups fans already saw in 2025. On RAW, Rhea Ripley and IYO SKY kept circling the Kabuki Warriors, a feud that spilled into WarGames and lingered post‑PLE. Asuka shockingly beat Ripley in a singles bout, even though Ripley defeated Asuka back in September.

The pattern extended to Judgment Day vs Lyra Valkyria and Bayley, who traded wins, this time with Liv Morgan mixed in. With so much talent available, endlessly revisiting the same combinations blunts momentum and makes big moments feel smaller.

Dominik’s dormant gold

Dominik Mysterio reclaimed the Intercontinental Title from John Cena at Survivor Series: WarGames, a comeback aided by Liv Morgan’s return from injury. Yet since then, the men’s midcard belt has faded into the background. The women around Dominik can’t align, Raquel Rodriguez chased singles gold instead of a tag run, which irked Morgan, who pivoted to supporting Roxanne Perez.

Meanwhile, Dirty Dom spent RAW backstage playing video games with Finn Balor for a brief segment. Not every championship can be spotlighted weekly, but an entire month with almost nothing for the Intercontinental Title is a miss that weakens the division’s heartbeat.

Regifted rematches

Rather than fresh challengers, both RAW women’s champions head into familiar territory. Stephanie Vaquer will defend the Women’s World Championship next week against Nikki Bella and Raquel Rodriguez, opponents she has already faced in all four of her title defenses. Maxine Dupri is also set to put her championship on the line against Becky Lynch on the first RAW of 2026, another rematch.

The whole division feels stuck in a holding pattern ahead of the Royal Rumble. Vaquer especially needs a defining defense to solidify her reign, since her win over IYO SKY came with the title vacant. Repeating the same ticket undermines stakes and turns championship matches into routine TV segments rather than marquee attractions.