WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners and Losers After Oct. 21

Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton both won their respective matches on this week's edition of Monday Night Raw, but that's not the only way they were winners.

This was the last episode of Raw before WWE's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, so rivalries were reaching their respective boiling points.

As mentioned, Orton and Bryan were both in action, but the big winner of the night almost came out of nowhere. Elsewhere, others continued on their downward trajectory on the WWE roster.

The following are the biggest winners and losers from the October 21 edition of Raw.

Winner: Big E Langston

If there was one breakout star of the night, it was certainly Big E Langston.

After languishing in creative purgatory following his brief feud with Dolph Ziggler, the company appears to be giving Big E a sizable push as a babyface.

He had a good showing on last Friday's episode of SmackDown against CM Punk and then in fighting off the Paul Heyman guys, and on Raw he almost fended off both Ryback and Curtis Axel single-handedly.

Langston is big, quick and explosive. Rumor is that he'll be feuding with Ryback in the following months, per F4WOnline via WrestlingInc.com, and based off what we saw on Raw, that may not be a bad idea at all—at least, not for Big E Langston.

Loser: The Miz

The WWE looks to be building toward a match between The Miz and Bray Wyatt, but right now The Awesome One doesn't even resemble legitimate competition.

Wyatt recently suffered a leg injury that's kept him out of action for a few weeks, which is likely why Miz has been facing off against Eric Rowan and Luke Harper. The weird thing is they beat Miz, so why would we think Miz would have a chance against Wyatt?

The psychology is all wrong, unless of course the Miz vs. Wyatt match is just a red herring. Kane is scheduled to return soon, so perhaps he'll come to save the day?

Either way, The Most Must-See WWE Superstar is certainly not getting a chance to prove his moniker right.

Winners: Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton

Raw was a bit of a mixed bag for Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton.

On one hand, their rivalry seemed almost superfluous compared to whatever it is the WWE is doing with Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Big Show. At the same time, however, it's hard not to be excited for their match at Hell in a Cell.

I figured the feud would reach a climax at Survivor Series, but after two indecisive PPV finishes in a row, it would be a bold move for WWE to lengthen it further. This is the culmination of about three months of buildup. 

Will Vince McMahon pull the trigger on Daniel Bryan, or will he go with the safe old hand of Randy Orton? While too much of the closing segment focused on people not competing for the WWE Championship, the time that was devoted to the match did a good job of building excitement.

With Big Show and HBK involved, their match won't end clean, but Bryan and Orton are winners because their rivalry has regained some of the momentum it lost.

Loser: Ryback

What a difference a year makes. There's no wonder the announcers don't mention that Ryback and CM Punk faced off inside Satan's Structure last year, because it would serve to remind fans how low Big Hungry has fallen since then.

This time last year he was an unstoppable beast of a machine. He no-sold moves, he beat three people at once. He was power embodied in a man. While it seemed unlikely that he would take the WWE Championship away from Punk, it was difficult to imagine the sight of him being pinned.

One year later, he's facing The Second City Saint in the same cell, with Paul Heyman, and he still doesn't feel like a foe worthy of Punk. 

Watching Big E Langston put up a strong fight against Ryback and Curtis Axel was yet another reminder that Big Hungry isn't the monster he once was.

Follow Daniel on Twitter @dvanboom