WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 8, 2014

World Wrestling Entertainment saluted the best of 2014 Monday night with its annual Slammy Awards broadcast. Superstar, Match, Diva and Tag Team of the Year trophies were awarded to those performers who made the greatest impact on the company throughout the last 12 months, but it was not who took home the Slammy statues that mattered by night's end.

With TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs just six days away, tensions were high. John Cena was slated to square off with Big Show in the night's marquee match, but with Seth Rollins and the rest of The Authority's remnants lurking, one figured the main event would descend into madness—and it did.

Erick Rowan continued to make a tremendous impact on the company, waging war with former Wyatt Family teammate Luke Harper just days before what is sure to be a vicious Steel Stairs match against the aforementioned Big Show.

Jack Swagger showed great intensity and anger in attacking Rusev following the Bulgarian Brute's backstage assault on Zeb Colter last week and now has the upper hand in the rivalry with the United States champion heading into Sunday's show, courtesy of the devastating Patriot Lock.

Who else enters this weekend's massive pay-per-view extravaganza riding a wave of momentum? Who is in desperate need of a jump-start following Monday's broadcast?

Let's find out.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

Sure, he lost to Seth Rollins to kick off the in-ring portion of Raw but was incredibly protected in doing so, as it took three people to finally defeat him.

But he did not make this week's winner's circle because of that match, nor did he make it because of the pop he received later when he came to the aid of John Cena during the main event. No, Ziggler made this week's article because of the Slammy award he took home for Match of the Year.

When Team Cena vs. Team Authority was announced as the winner, it would have made perfect sense for Cena to walk through the curtain to accept the award considering he was the captain of the winning team, not to mention that he had not made his presence felt to that point and would not win another Slammy all night.

Instead, Ziggler was presented the opportunity to accept the award and address the fans.

He thanked them for sticking by him, telling them that the reason he was there was because they never quit on him. Rather than playing up the Showoff persona or displaying hints of cockiness or arrogance that the character oftentimes is associated with, he was humble and honest, and it definitely endeared him to the audience at large.

Credit: WWE.com

Loser: John Cena

If there was any question about whether audiences are tiring of John Cena, Monday's Slammys should be a strong indication. After winning the WWE Championship and battling Bray Wyatt, Brock Lesnar and The Authority throughout the year, Cena was denied at every opportunity he had to earn an award by the WWE Universe.

Instead, fans chose to celebrate the likes of Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler, all of whom delivered outstanding performances in 2014. But to believe that not one award was presented to Cena is somewhat surprising.

Add to that the fact that the franchise player was saddled in another Monday night main event against the Big Show—someone he has absolutely no chemistry with despite the number of times they have wrestled—and you have the recipe for a disappointing night.

Oh, and then there was the powerbomb through the table that was the proverbial icing on the cake for Cena's crappy evening.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: AJ Lee

In 2013, AJ Lee was denied the Diva of the Year Slammy as WWE tried to convince its audience that fans had actually voted for Brie and Nikki Bella instead. 

The company knew better than to try that nonsense a second year in a row, as AJ finally won the trophy that she deserved.

Was 2014 as strong a year for the Black Widow of WWE? When compared to her 2013 and 2012, no.

But when taking into consideration the fact that she had the longest Divas Championship reign of all time, returned from a brief hiatus to win the title twice more and was the centerpiece of the Divas division whenever she was around, one cannot deny that she deserves the award.

A victory over Summer Rae via submission only helped bolster her case as she prepares to battle Nikki Bella for the Divas title at TLC.

Credit: WWE.com

Winners: Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt

With their Tables, Ladders and Chairs match rapidly approaching, Raw was the last opportunity for Dean Ambrose and Bray Wyatt to really make an impact. And they did with an outstanding segment of television that showcased Ambrose's ability to match Wyatt's unpredictable mind games.

More importantly, it showcased a Wyatt who is reeling, as he lashed out for the first time against the very same fans that he once tried to convince to follow him. The master manipulator has fallen into the hands of the Lunatic Fringe, who has cracked the facade and left him exposed.

If WWE Creative can resist the urge to weigh it down with supernatural parlor tricks, there is very little doubt the TLC match will be the best of Sunday's pay-per-view card, a delectable meal for pro wrestling fans.

Monday night was the perfect appetizer for the main course.

Credit: WWE.com

Loser: Charlotte

It still baffles this writer that anyone sitting in the WWE Creative room thought for a second that the best way to debut Charlotte was to have her lose a two-minute match to Natalya in front of millions of fans watching around the world.

After spending months building up this aura of invincibility, of booking her as the most elite Diva in NXT, the writers jobbed her out in her first main-roster appearance.

In their defense, it was against the best technical wrestler on the Divas roster, but to waste such a momentous occasion as the debut of Ric Flair's daughter on a forgettable two-minute match that means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things is exactly why the Divas from developmental have had a difficult time connecting with audiences.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Monday night, Roman Reigns won the coveted Superstar of the Year award, as voted on by the WWE Universe.

While Brock Lesnar would have made a much more deserving candidate based on his destruction of The Undertaker, Big Show and John Cena, not to mention his WWE Championship victory at SummerSlam, it is understandable that the WWE fans would opt not to vote for a part-time Superstar.

Thus, given his meteoric rise in 2014, Reigns was the next best choice.

He steamrolled legitimate stars such as Randy Orton, Batista and Triple H, pinning all three Evolution members throughout the year. He has competed against John Cena in some high-profile matches and is clearly the company's choice to be its next megastar.

While Ambrose and Rollins may have been more productive late in the year, quality prevailed over quantity, and Reigns won out in the end.