WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 29, 2014

The final WWE Raw of 2014 hit the USA Network airwaves with a bang as Tony Chimel introduced guest general managers Edge and Christian to the crowd in Washington, D.C.

While the former WWE Tag Team champions' return may have been the biggest story entering the broadcast, it was the return of The Authority at the end of the evening that had the wrestling world buzzing.

With Edge prone in the center of the ring and Seth Rollins vowing to cripple him unless John Cena returned Triple H and Stephanie McMahon to power, Cena was faced with a moral dilemma.

Either he would watch a man he respected greatly, despite all of their wars in the past, fall victim to a Curb Stomp that could have permanently paralyzed him, or he would reinstate a pair of authority figures with the power to make life a living hell for the entire roster.

In the end, he did what was necessary to maintain the health and safety of Edge, just as any heroic figure would have done.

But what does it mean for Raw going forward?

Only time will tell. Until then, relive Monday's show via the biggest winners and losers of the night.

Winner: Seth Rollins

As Mr. Money in the Bank stood in the center of the ring, microphone in hand, stepping on the prone neck of Edge, one could not help but feel as though the former architect of The Shield very much resembled the man he was threatening.

During his time at the top of SmackDown as the Rated-R Superstar, Edge was a manipulative and cunning villain who seized every opportunity to get what he wanted.

Rollins did just that, using the respect and admiration between two all-time greats to his advantage and, at the end of the day, restoring what he believes to be order to WWE.

With Triple H and Stephanie back in charge, Rollins can benefit from being The Authority's golden boy again, enjoying far smoother sailing than he did with them watching from afar for the last month.

It was a booking move that, while controversial, really helped put even more heat on Rollins, something that will only benefit the company in the long run when he goes on to become the top villain in the industry.

Credit: WWE.com

Losers: The Miz and Damien Mizdow

Not only did WWE's resident A-lister The Miz and his stunt double Damien Mizdow drop the tag titles to Jimmy and Jey Uso Monday night, their insistence on a second match earned them the dubious distinction of becoming the first victims of the debuting Konnor and Viktor of The Ascension.

The act has been very over as of late, thanks in large part to the antics of Mizdow, but it was beginning to stale in recent weeks, so WWE Creative's steps to, perhaps, lay the foundation for their split was well-timed.

Also, say what you will about Miz, but it still means something for a debuting act such as The Ascension to make an impact by defeating the former WWE champion. It means more to Konnor and Viktor's immediate future than, say, a win over Los Matadores would have.

It remains to be seen where management decides to go with the former tag titleholders now that their program with the Usos appears to have wrapped up, but one thing is for certain: Their pairing has been a star-making vehicle for Mizdow, who is more over now than he ever has been.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Ryback

There are some who believe that the promo segment featuring The Big Guy dragged on far too long. They may have a point there, but to say it was ineffective or that it was downright bad would be wrong.

What the promo did was provide insight into a character that, before now, was a one-trick pony. He came to the ring, chanted "feed me more" and ran through opponents. Never before had the performer had the opportunity to tell his story.

Monday night he did.

While it took a moment or two for him to become comfortable on the mic, Ryback did a great job of detailing his journey from a fan acting as the guest timekeeper at a live event in Las Vegas, to Tough Enough a decade ago, his broken leg as a member of Nexus and his triumphant return.

The biggest indicator that the segment worked? The fact that Ryback's story was gripping enough to change the "what" chants over to genuine cheers by the end. 

"It's not a USA vs. Russia thing, it's one big guy kicking another big guy's a-- thing," was a money line from Ryback that will only add further heat to his blossoming rivalry with current United States champion Rusev.

Credit: WWE.com

Loser: Cesaro

Admit it: When Cesaro took the microphone and began voicing frustrations with the way he has been used over the last year and the fact that WWE management does not believe he connects with the audience, you thought it was the beginnings of a renewed push for the Swiss Superman.

Unfortunately, you would be wrong. Instead, what it was was another opportunity for the former U.S. champion to be defeated, this time by the returning Bad News Barrett.

While Cesaro was on point early—winning the diehard wrestling fans over by stating that he delivers every time he steps in the ring—he stumbled late and, even worse, tried to correct himself. By doing so, he drew more attention to the fact that he botched his line.

That the match with Barrett was hard-hitting but not particularly good did him no favors.

At this point in his career, Cesaro is never going to get over as anything but a wrestler. Trying to saddle him with gimmicks or catchphrases so he better connects with audiences is useless. The best way for him to forge that connection is to let him do what he does best: wrestle.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Is anyone still wondering if Bryan can stay over with the crowd, despite being gone for so long? Because, if they are, they can go ahead and stop right now. Upon announcing that he would enter the 2015 Royal Rumble match, Bryan drew the biggest pop of the evening.

Chants of "YES!" filled the arena, and Bryan appeared more motivated and enthused than he has since capturing the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania XXX.

The announcement of his return to the ring has been long awaited and now gives the Royal Rumble match that much more meaning.

And if you thought the crowd in Pittsburgh turned on anyone not named Bryan winning the match, wait until the even more vocal Philadelphia fans pack the Wells Fargo Center for this year's Royal Rumble pay-per-view in support of the bearded former champion.

Credit: WWE.com

Losers: Luke Harper and Jack Swagger

There was nothing inherently wrong with the match between Harper and Swagger Monday night. In fact, both Superstars worked hard, and the action itself was quite good. The problem was, however, that it was thrown out in a dead spot on the card, in front of a burnt-out audience, and died a slow and painful death as a result.

No matter what spots were put together or how good the match actually was, fans failed to invest in either star, simply because WWE Creative has done little to invest in them in recent weeks.

Harper is a phenomenal wrestler and a guy with the potential to star as one of the top heels in the industry for years to come. Unfortunately, his character development in the wake of the Wyatt Family split has been nonexistent and as a result, fans have been slow to really get into him as a singles performer.

If WWE wishes to make Harper a valuable asset in the midcard or main event scene going forward, the company's crack writing team will have to do something with him to make fans care. Otherwise, he will fall by the wayside, joining the likes of Swagger and Cesaro in the heap of talented workers stuck on the booking treadmill.