WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 15, 2014

On the heels of a disappointing TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs...and Stairs pay-per-view, Monday Night Raw hit the USA Network airwaves with little momentum.

Luckily, an opening segment involving Paul Heyman, Chris Jericho, John Cena and Seth Rollins set the table for the remainder of the show, a show that was an improvement on the previous night's extravaganza in that the wrestling was better without the use of gimmicks. Furthermore, it actually felt like something major happened in the closing moments to reward fans for sticking around.

The return of Brock Lesnar instantly brought a sense of danger, a sense of seriousness back to the show. Like him or not, the Beast Incarnate is a Superstar who has the ability to change the entire mood of a broadcast, and he did just that Monday night, arriving on the scene to dismantle Chris Jericho with an F5 before making his presence felt in the evening's main event.

Whereas most of the Superstars and Divas felt like losers coming out of TLC, give or take one or two, Raw felt very much like a show where WWE Creative got back on track as the company begins its long six-week road to the Royal Rumble.

Here now are the Superstars who benefited most and those whose misfortune carried over from Sunday's debacle.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Seth Rollins

Anyone concerned that Rollins had been buried via his loss to John Cena at TLC, not to mention the return of Roman Reigns, were relieved by the time Raw went off the air.

First, Rollins was part of the obscenely long opening promo segment, where he got in the face of Paul Heyman. Then, guest host Chris Jericho announced that Rollins would meet Cena for the second consecutive night, this time in a Steel Cage match.

At that point, it was perfectly acceptable to be concerned that Cena would be bringing his shovel to the dance, ready to pour the last few scoops of dirt on the grave he began digging for Rollins the night before.

Instead, Brock Lesnar got involved, left Cena lying and Rollins, in a nice twist, shook hands with Heyman. From there, a Curb Stomp finished Cena, and Rollins picked up one of his biggest victories to date in an outstanding Cage match.

The biggest question surrounding Rollins is whether he is a Heyman Guy or if it was a brief, beneficial moment in time for both him and the advocate for the WWE champion.

More importantly, how did Heyman control the Beast from demolishing Rollins after what Mr. Money in the Bank did to him at Night of Champions?

Credit: WWE.com

Loser: Erick Rowan

Remember when Erick Rowan was in the midst of a fairly impressive singles push on the heels of Survivor Series? How about when WWE Creative was adding new layers to the character, with the introduction of the Rubix Cube and the poignant one-word answers?

That all appears to be a thing of the past, at least for now, as Rowan was again put down by Big Show following the KO Punch in tag team action Monday night.

Why management feels the need to sacrifice someone who, potentially, could be a solid addition to WWE's midcard for years to come in order to put over an aging, slowing Big Show is a mystery.

At this point in his career, the giant has done just about everything he is going to do, and while he should be protected to a certain extent to retain his star power, putting him over young stars who will be tasked with carrying the company into the future is a huge mistake.

Rowan has lost a ton of momentum over the last 24 hours and will only continue to do so if Vince McMahon and others in power blame him for the awful Steel Stairs match from Sunday night.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Roman Reigns

Love him or hate him, Roman Reigns is the next big thing in WWE, and the fan response to him both Sunday night and Monday during Raw makes that crystal clear.

Whether he was stomping toward the squared circle to take out Jamie Noble, Joey Mercury and Big Show at TLC or laying out Fandango just 24 hours later, the WWE Universe greeted him with an ear-shattering pop that both lets him know that the fans did not forget about him during his time off due to injury and, more importantly, that the company can resume his meteoric push.

The intensity he showed following his Superman Punch to Big Show only helped matters.

The real test will come Tuesday night, during the special live episode of SmackDown, when Reigns returns to the squared circle. His performance there will either strengthen confidence within management and his popularity with the fanbase or create doubts on both sides.

Credit: WWE.com

Winners: Ryback and Rusev

After a recycled rivalry with Jack Swagger, Rusev appears to be on his way to resuming his climb up the WWE ladder, thanks to a face-to-face confrontation with Ryback that should result in another major program for the current United States champion.

That the showdown received the reaction it did from the audience indicates that the matchup between the brutish Superstars is one fans are interested in seeing.

Rusev has been one of the MVPs of WWE in 2014, continuously improving, while Ryback has been surging since returning just prior to the Survivor Series. With both guys perceived to be unstoppable forces, their impending match could make for one of the highest-profile midcard title bouts in recent memory.

Credit: WWE.com

Losers: The New Day

Did you hear that reception for The New Day?

No?

Don't worry—no one did. See, there was none, no matter how hard Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E clapped their hands and tried to get the audience to respond.

The video packages prior to the group's debut had a great deal of promise. They were slickly produced and gave all three Superstars the opportunity to talk, something they had not been granted to do much in the past.

Unfortunately, the gimmick is as hokey as can possibly be, and now, just weeks after its debut, fans see right through it.

All the wins over Gold and Stardust in the world cannot make up for that.