WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from January 5, 2015

The Authority returned to WWE Raw Monday night and wasted little time punishing those Superstars who opposed them and their team at Survivor Series.

Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan all paid dearly for their roles in ousting them from power at the annual November pay-per-view extravaganza. They were beaten down, battered and bruised in separate matches, then fired by Triple H and Stephanie McMahon to end the night.

Where that leaves them going forward remains a mystery, but the January 5 episode of Raw was one of great misery and heartache for three of WWE's more prominent babyfaces.

Speaking of prominent babyfaces, Dean Ambrose battled Bray Wyatt in a wild and chaotic Ambulance match. Despite taking the fight to the Reaper of Souls, Ambrose fell in defeat, suffering two vicious Sister Abigails before being thrown inside the ambulance and driven out of the arena.

Roman Reigns was one of the few heroes to end the night on a high note, blasting Big Show with a Spear and leaving the giant in a heap following a disqualification victory. 

It was undeniably a rough night for WWE's fan favorites and a celebratory one for the oppressive Authority.

With that in mind, these are the winners and losers from the January 5 episode of Raw.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Seth Rollins

Did anyone happen to catch the heel heat Rollins was greeted with when he made his way to the top of the ramp during the opening segment of Raw?

While he has thrived as a heel since betraying The Shield last June, it always seemed as though he had garnered his heel heat as a result of his association with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon—and his role as their "golden boy."

Monday night, he basked in the hatred of the fans because of what he did the week before; his performance was so slimy and dastardly as he threatened the well-being of WWE Hall of Famer Edge that fans had an all-new disdain for Mr. Money in the Bank.

That they hold him responsible for the return of The Authority only intensified the jeers they directed at him.

When you add that he is now a part of the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar at Royal Rumble—officially making that contest a Triple Threat match—you have the cherry on top of a glorious night for the former Architect of The Shield.

Loser: John Cena

How many times have fans watched John Cena lose a match and bounce right back as if nothing had ever happened, cutting a poop joke-filled promo or overcoming the odds and standing tall the next week? The fact is that Cena is rarely held accountable for his defeats.

Monday night, he was.

After being put in a situation in which he had to break his credo—where he had to give up and give in to Seth Rollins' demands—he watched as Triple H and Stephanie McMahon punished those Superstars who had stood by his side for the last two months.

Then, he shared the ring with those same men as they were dismissed from their jobs and fired in front of the entire world by a vengeful Authority.

For the first time, Cena had to face that his actions had consequences on someone other than himself. It was solid, if not predictable, booking, but it also added a layer to the Cena character that fans have not seen to this point.

How he responds may well land him in the winner's section next week. For now, it is impossible to ignore the final images of a dejected Cena watching in disbelief as confetti and balloons fell around him and The Authority celebrated at the top of the ramp.

Winner: Bray Wyatt

There were no parlor tricks surrounding Bray Wyatt's victory Monday night. He left the holograms and exploding televisions at home as he battled Dean Ambrose in an Ambulance match. It was a wild, chaotic, brutal and violent bout that was a suitable conclusion to the rivalry, if that is what WWE Creative intended the match to be.

Wyatt won the contest fair and square, delivering two Sister Abigails to Ambrose and sending him out of the arena in the ambulance.

If it is the end of the program, it does leave some questions, with the most important being: What's next for the Reaper of Souls? With so many of the top babyfaces caught up in The Authority storyline, Ambrose was really the only prominent hero that Wyatt could feud with and still remain in a relevant program.

At the same time, the Ambrose feud has run its course, and it is imperative for Wyatt to move on and freshen up before he becomes too stale to recover. How he does that, and who he does it with, remains to be seen.

Winner: Bad News Barrett

The double-tough Brit returned from injury on last week's show and, just seven days later, was battling Dolph Ziggler for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Despite being pinned in mere seconds by The Showoff, Barrett benefited from the interference of the Director of Operations Kane to bounce back, took advantage of the 2-out-of-3 Falls match stipulation and captured the title with the Bull Hammer.

The more interesting and intriguing aspect of the match was the celebration with Kane, which seemed to hint at some sort of relationship between Barrett and The Authority. If that is the case, Barrett could be gearing up for his biggest push since the height of The Nexus.

If not, he will remain a member of WWE's muddled midcard, and that would be some bad news.

Winner: Ryback

Sure, The Big Guy was fired by night's end, but it is impossible to ignore how strongly he was booked earlier in the night as he battled Kane and Seth Rollins in a Handicap match.

Despite the numbers game being against him, Ryback fended off Rollins and Kane for the majority of the bout and even appeared on his way to a victory following Shell Shocked to the Big Red Corporate Demon (From Hell). However, it was not to be as the legal man, Rollins, delivered a Curb Stomp.

But the finisher did not keep Ryback down. Instead, he stewed and appeared to be making a recovery when Rollins executed a second finisher. This time, Ryback could not muster enough energy to come back and soon had his shoulders pinned for three.

Regardless of the loss and despite the show-closing segment, Ryback continues to be booked incredibly strongly by a WWE Creative staff that is clearly interested in ensuring that the Big Guy remains a credible, potentially main event babyface for the company.