WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from December 22, 2014

Monday night, World Wrestling Entertainment presented its Christmas-themed episode of Raw.

Hulk Hogan made his return to the show, as did fellow 2005 Hall of Fame inductee Rowdy Roddy Piper. Dean Ambrose battled Bray Wyatt in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight, John Cena waged war with Seth Rollins, and the Intercontinental Championship was at stake when Dolph Ziggler defended against Luke Harper.

With two iconic figures from wrestling's past and some of the brightest stars of the present, one would figure that this week's broadcast was can't-miss television.

They would figure wrong.

As is the case with most holiday shows, the writing was awful, there were matches that had no rhyme or reason for taking place, and the commentators were as bad as ever.

While Ziggler and Harper brought the goods from bell to bell, and Ambrose and Wyatt had a very entertaining brawl to close out the show, the rest felt like a product from performers and WWE Creative clearly in cruise control.

Still, there were definite winners and losers coming out of this week's Raw, with some gaining momentum at the right time heading into 2015 and others floundering.

Who are they?

Glad you asked.

Winners: Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper

Every time Ziggler and Harper take to the ring for a match against each other, they do so with expectations that they will steal the show out from underneath the rest of the card. For the most part, they have done just that, wrestling the best match at the TLC pay-per-view and again Monday night.

Harper is a throwback to the likes of Bruiser Brody and Stan Hansen in that he is a very physical, very stiff worker whose offense looks absolutely believable, mostly because he connects with everything from a simple punch to his finisher, the discus clothesline.

Ziggler, on the other hand, is a sympathetic babyface. The way he bumps around the ring, not to mention the facial expressions and body language he incorporates into his performances, suck the audience into supporting him. When he makes his triumphant comeback, the crowd is at a fever pitch. 

The finish Monday night was outstanding. Ziggler withstood every high-impact move Harper could throw at him to deliver two on-the-dot superkicks and the Zig Zag for the pinfall win and the successful title defense.

It would appear that this was the conclusion of the rivalry, and if so, fans should be grateful that they had the opportunity to see two guys so incredibly talented deliver the quality matches that they did for the better part of two months.

Losers: Gold and Stardust

Any credibility the brothers Rhodes had left entering Raw, which was not much, was erased when Goldust was pinned by El Torito.

It is astonishing to see just how far Gold and Stardust have fallen in a few short months. Former WWE tag team champions, they lost nearly every match they competed in while holding the titles and dropped the gold just two months into their reign.

Since then, they have been on an unending downward spiral that culminated with their latest defeat, one which came in a comedy match on a Christmas episode of Raw that typically has no bearing on storylines.

Why sacrifice a valuable team consisting of two immensely talented workers just to put over El Torito and Los Matadores, a trio fans will never take seriously?

This was poor booking and a waste of the talent and credibility of a great duo.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

There are times when Bray Wyatt cuts one of his promos that he comes across as a rambling loon, but Monday night, he was booked to perfection, reminding the fans that there is an evil genius behind all of the theatricality and parlor tricks.

During his Street Fight with Dean Ambrose, Wyatt set up a kendo stick in the corner. After a brief tease of each competitor being sent face-first into the weapon, it was seemingly ignored when both introduced chairs, ladders and tables into the fray.

But then Ambrose, frantic and crazed, took his eye off the proverbial ball, while Wyatt kept in the back of his mind that the stick was still in play.

After knocking his opponent from the top of the ladder with a well-timed chair shot, Wyatt sent him face-first into the cane and scored a pinfall victory off of the spot.

It was a case of Wyatt using Ambrose's unstable nature against him, all the while proving that he is absolutely aware of his surroundings at all times, something commentator Michael Cole put over after the win.

The booking allowed Wyatt to look like (with all due respect to Triple H) a cerebral assassin and someone far more intelligent that his looks would indicate.

Winner: Natalya

Nattie has had an eventful year in 2014 given her place at the center of Tyson Kidd's main event push in NXT and the drama that continues to unfold between them on Total Divas (not that I watch or anything), and it appears as though the beginning of 2015 will continue that trend.

Monday night, Natalya scored a big pinfall victory over Brie Bella, knocked Nikki off the apron and posed with the Divas title, insinuating that she will be coming for the championship in the weeks to come. A Royal Rumble title opportunity cannot be ruled out.

It would be a great reward for a strong year of work that saw her deliver a classic with Charlotte back at May's NXT Takeover.

More importantly, it would add gasoline to the fire that is her relationship with Tyson Kidd, leading to more intense jealousy on the Superstar's part.

Loser: John Cena

Anyone even slightly encouraged by Cena's loss to Seth Rollins last week was crushed Monday night when the franchise pinned Rollins clean, getting his win back ahead of his big pay-per-view showdown with Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble.

So how does that make Cena a loser this week?

Wins like this over guys the company is clearly trying to present as headline villains only earn him the wrath of an Internet fanbase ready to crucify him each and every time he does something it considers detrimental to the future of the industry.

No matter how hard he works, how masterfully he carries the company or how many times he proves criticism of his ring work wrong by delivering excellent matches, the fact is fans are tired of his act. Cena going over guys they perceive to be fresher, more exciting or better wrestlers only intensifies the criticism and venom they spew in his direction.

Whether he deserves it or not, the booking of Cena makes him a loser in a never-ending war.