WWE Night of Champions 2015: Biggest Winners and Losers from Marquee Event

WWE Night of Champions 2015 is in the books, and there were plenty of huge developments to come out of Sunday night's event. 

From the match card that produced stellar action in the ring to surprise returns of WWE Superstars to one major announcement for the upcoming Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, the biggest winners last night were WWE fans. 

After numerous events that featured questionable finishes and staid storytelling, WWE Night of Champions 2015 produced some of the best in-ring action in recent memory. From the first match of the night until the bell rang on the main event, WWE Creative did an excellent job giving fans logical endings and conclusive decisions. 

And for their parts, the wrestlers delivered. Only one match received an average grade, wrote Bleacher Report's Ryan Dilbert, and three received A's. Three titles changed hands, including two that have caused the most consternation among the WWE Universe: the Intercontinental Championship and the WWE Divas Championship. 

While the return of Kane and the surprise appearance by Chris Jericho as the mystery partner for Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose received mixed reviews at best, they were cleverly inserted into natural storylines and will provide options for WWE Creative moving forward. 

Finally, the biggest announcement of the evening almost came off as an afterthought. In a commercial to promote upcoming special events (and likely to keep first-time WWE Network users from canceling their subscriptions), WWE announced that Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker will meet for a final time at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view next month. 

Overall, WWE fans got a lot out of what could be considered a B-level pay-per-view. Hence, they are the biggest winners. 

Loser: Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

What could have been a defining match to bring the Bulgarian Brute back from midcard purgatory turned into another nail in his coffin. 

The Rusev and Summer Rae vs. Dolph Ziggler and Lana soap opera has been D.O.A. since the angle began, beset with delays thanks to untimely injuries to its main attractions. 

WWE Night of Champions 2015 should have put an end to this feud, allowing both men to move forward into more meaningful storylines. Instead, Rusev was made to look the fool once again, and it's unclear whether WWE Creative will ever allow him to fully recover from his split with Lana. 

Winner: Kevin Owens

When Kevin Owens first arrived on the scene at NXT, it was clear he was a special wrestler. Owens is a unique performer, one who has remained true to the original story he told when he first slammed Sami Zayn into the ring apron at the end of NXT TakeOver: R Evolution. 

Owens is a prizefighter, and nothing will stop his quest to attain WWE gold. 

It started in NXT, continued through his main-roster assault on John Cena for the United States Championship and has finally culminated in his winning the Intercontinental Championship from Ryback at WWE Night of Champions 2015.

It takes dedication to follow the same story from one pay-per-view to another, something WWE Creative has been lackluster at accomplishing. But Owens has kept that angle alive since December. He's stressed its importance and has made it believable. 

His feud with Ryback will likely continue, and it should produce quality matches going forward. An Owens championship reign also allows for feuds with pretty much anyone on the roster, heel or face. 

Owens is also a perfect personality to use an IC title reign to create new opportunities, including but not limited to a WWE World Heavyweight Championship shot. 

Loser: Sheamus

Credit: WWE.com

In the weeks leading up to WWE Night of Champions 2015, Sheamus had been booked as a conniving heel waiting for an opportunity to strike at Seth Rollins. 

It was a masterstroke, one that should have paid off in a cash-in at last night's pay-per-view. Instead, he was once again cut down by short-sighted booking by WWE Creative. 

First was his ill-conceived cash-in attempt following Rollins' win. The plan would have been more believable if Rollins had been decimated by both Cena and Sting or if Sting had prevailed. But with Rollins having all his wits about him, it seemed more forced than natural. 

Second, the entire segment was poorly timed. Once again, Sheamus cannot capitalize because of a delayed briefcase handoff and announcement. 

Finally, the decision to have Sheamus interrupt Kane and ask for more punishment on Rollins instead of just going for the cover was abysmal. Everything that happened after the bell in the main event was poorly scripted, dampening a great event. 

Sheamus once again is the guy who can't cash in, and he leaves WWE Night of Champions with no real feud and little hope of securing the WWE title in the near future. 

Loser: WWE Security

When is enough enough? For the fourth time in recent months, a fan interjected himself into the action, this time jumping the barricade and entering the ring during introductions of the Wyatt Family vs. Shield matchup.

Bleacher Report's Joseph Zucker wrote of the incident: "This comes nearly three weeks after a fan walked down the entrance ramp with Seth Rollins during an episode of Raw. Earlier in the summer, a fan threw a replica Money in the Bank briefcase at Reigns, and a fan attempted to attack Ambrose."

Fans should expect to see more security personnel along the barricades at upcoming events, which is the typical reaction to fan stunts like this. It won't be surprising if some additional changes occur. For example, Reigns' crowd entrances might be coming to an end in the near future thanks to such shenanigans.