WWE will kick off the near year with a Raw Women's Championship Match.
On the December 12 episode, Alexa Bliss defeated Bayley in a #1 Contender's Match to earn a shot at the gold. The two stars earned their place in the bout by winning Triple Threat contests on the December 5 episode; Bayley defeated Asuka and Rhea Ripley, while Bliss beat Nikki Cross and Becky Lynch. After Bliss defeated Bayley, Raw Women's Champion Bianca Belair entered the ring. Bliss went for a hug, but she seemingly snapped when Bray Wyatt's logo appeared. She nearly dropped the champion with a Sister Abigail, but she shifted back into her normal persona at the last second.
The following week, Belair and Bliss sat down for an interview with Byron Saxton. Bliss admitted that her association with Wyatt left her feeling broken, and it has taken ger a long time to put herself back together. She stated that forming an alliance with Belair and Asuka throughout the fall was a big part of that, and now she realizes that she's worth more than the way Wyatt made her feel. Bliss then warned Belair that she's a threat to her before she blindsided the champion and left her lying.
What's gotten into @AlexaBliss_WWE? --#WWERaw pic.twitter.com/m7CfRAkjrS
— WWE on FOX (@WWEonFOX) December 20, 2022
WWE then announced that Belair will defend the title against Bliss on the January 2 episode of WWE Raw.
Later in the show, the company announced that Seth Rollins will challenge Austin Theory for the United States Championship. Rollins defeated Bobby Lashley in a #1 Contender's Match on the December 12 episode.
The announced card for the January 2 episode of WWE Raw is as follows:
WWE Raw (1/2/23)
- Raw Women's Championship: Bianca Belair (c) vs. Alexa Bliss
- United States Championship: Austin Theory (c) vs. Seth Rollins
Catch up with our coverage of WWE Raw here. For a full review, check out our post-show podcast on our YouTube channel.
