WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from April 20

With Extreme Rules right around the corner, WWE rolled into Albany, New York, for this week's episode of Raw. Announced ahead of time were matches involving former heavyweight champions John Cena and The Miz. But it was fellow longtime veteran of the mat wars Kane that left his mark on this week's broadcast, thanks to some stellar storytelling on the part of WWE Creative.

The Big Red Corporate Director of Demons, or whatever they are calling him this week, has been one of the staler characters on WWE television for the last year, rivaled only by Big Show. With fans questioning his age and effectiveness, it was quite interesting to see that issue brought up as WWE World Heavyweight champion broke out Depends jokes and mentioned "dentures," a clear knock at his estranged associate.

Kane made the most of the material, turning his finest performance since the breakup of Team Hell No.

His facial expressions and body language upon returning to the backstage area following his loss to John Cena were outstanding and showcased an aging Superstar perhaps coming to grips with the idea that he is no longer the same performer he once was.

It was compelling storytelling that will continue on Sunday when Kane serves as the gatekeeper for the Steel Cage match between Rollins and Randy Orton. Will fans see the return of the masked demon? Who will face the wrath of the Big Red Monster when that finally happens?

For the first time in a long while, there is intrigue around the character and that makes him one of this week's biggest winners.

Who joins him on that side and who is unlucky enough to be deemed a loser coming out of the April 20 episode of Raw?

Winner: Randy Orton

Monday night, Randy Orton had his best night since turning babyface, destroying midcarders up and down the card with RKOs and drawing a raucous reaction from the fans in Albany while doing so.

His reaction to the banishment of the maneuver for Sunday's huge WWE world heavyweight title match against Seth Rollins, each of the signature finishing maneuvers generated a louder and louder response before the final one, to Rollins himself while inside the cage, nearly blew the roof off of the Times Union Center.

It was perfect booking of Orton who, for the first time, really felt like the top babyface in the company heading into a huge pay-per-view bout.

The unpredictable, cold and calculating nature of Orton's performance got over with the fans and is something that could be tapped into more in the coming weeks if WWE wishes to continue pushing The Viper as one of the marquee heroes on their show.

Whether that happens or not remains to be seen but with Extreme Rules on the horizon, there simply was no better way to book the celebrated star.

Winner: Seth Rollins

The sniveling, spoiled-brat heel character suits current WWE world heavyweight champion Seth Rollins so much, as seen during Monday's broadcast.

A desperate man, the champion went as far as to get in the face of The Authority's Triple H and even interrupted him on the microphone, planting the seeds for dissension between the COO and his hand-picked champion.

His treatment of Kane and even the lack of respect he showed for J&J Security while asking for better protection shows a man alienating those around him as his desperation increases with every passing show.

To his credit, Rollins has delivered in the role.

While many heels are worried about looking cool and never appearing too vulnerable, Rollins seemingly relishes the opportunity to get fans to boo him. He never misses out on the opportunity to take what's coming to him and that is the mark of a strong performer who recognizes that, at the end of the day, every bad guy gets what he deserves.

That likely will not happen at Extreme Rules, and that is a good thing. Rollins is too strong a character, and has been the centerpiece of WWE programming for too long now, to throw it all away on another Orton title reign.

Winners: The Lucha Dragons

Kalisto and Sin Cara are a really strong tag team. They appeared on Raw for the first time just 24 hours after WrestleMania 31 and since then, have done an extraordinary job of getting fans into their matches via their high-flying and energetic style.

While they lost via count-out to the New Day on Monday night, it will benefit them in the long run. See, with Extreme Rules taking place in the diehard wrestling city of Chicago, odds are that any team opposite of Cesaro and Tyson Kidd would be booed anyway, so why risk the momentum built by the masked luchadors?

Why not just book New Day in that spot so the crowd can unleash their displeasure for that gimmick on them in full throat?

It was a wise decision and one that will save the Lucha Dragons and their eventual title bout for the future and a crowd more likely to cheer them than the one in the Windy City this weekend.

Losers: Damien Mizdow and The Miz

Remember when these two were involved in one of the most heated midcard feuds in recent memory? Remember when fans actually wanted to see Mizdow get revenge on his employer for months of mistreatment?

Those days seemed like a generation ago when the Superstars took to the ring for what was to be the blowoff to their months-long story Monday night. Placed in the middle of the third hour, with no real crowd heat to speak of, the match was a two-minute exercise in how not to culminate a rivalry.

Summer Rae's involvement, which was predictable but still should have popped the crowd, was greeted with silence, as was Miz's victory. The only thing that did revive the audience was the appearance by Randy Orton, who made Miz the latest victim of the RKO.

The entire story really needed to conclude the night after WrestleMania, with Mizdow following up his performance on the grand stage with a victory over his longtime tormentor. Instead, the feud stretched too long, leading to a match no one cared about, with a quality twist that drew no reaction.

Winner: Sheamus

For the three years that Sheamus spent as a babyface, there always felt like there was something more lurking beneath the surface. It always felt like there was a demented, twisted, violent villain underneath the smiles and bad jokes.

Monday night, fans got a taste of just how bad Sheamus can be as he demolished and brutalized Zack Ryder, punishing him while talking to him on a microphone. It was bullying at its best and exactly what fans expect from an over-the-top heel the likes of the Irishman.

Like Seth Rollins, Sheamus is a tried and true wrestling villain. He does not have to try and act like a tough guy because fans already know he is. What he has done so brilliantly is become the bully, the guy who thinks anyone that is not his size, who does not literally measure up to him, has no place in the business.

It is that misguided hubris and arrogant way of thinking that will prove his downfall and fans will eat it up when that time comes.