WWE Raw Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from December 14

On the heels of a TLC pay-per-view in which Roman Reigns snapped and crossed the line by attacking COO Triple H with a steel chair before putting him through a table and finishing him off with a massive spear, World Wrestling Entertainment hit the USA Network, live from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

How would The Authority address Reigns, and what sanctions or repercussions would the juggernaut have to face as he arrived in the City of Brotherly Love for Monday's broadcast.

Speaking of brotherly love, Reigns' closest friend Dean Ambrose captured the Intercontinental Championship at TLC, beating Kevin Owens to earn his first run with the title he has chased since January. What, or, more importantly, who, awaited him as 2015 comes to a close? And what did Owens have in store for The Lunatic Fringe just 24 hours after his reign came to a crushing conclusion?

Paige, Charlotte and Becky Lynch will be under the same roof for the first time since the Divas champion cheated her way to successfully retaining her title at TLC. What would The Anti-Diva Paige and Charlotte's best friend Lynch have to say about the second-generation Diva's recent attitude change?

And then there's The Wyatt Family, fresh off a clean pay-per-view victory. Who would be the unfortunate focus of their attention Monday night?

Fans found out the answers to these questions and much more on WWE's flagship show.

Now, you can relive the broadcast with these results, grades and analysis from December 14.

Stephanie McMahon Confronts Roman Reigns

Stephanie McMahon kicked off the show and was understandably irate following the events of TLC.

She wasted little time calling Roman Reigns to the ring and berating him for his actions Sunday night. She referred to him as a disgrace, to which Reigns responded by calling The Authority the real disgrace.

This earned Reigns two slaps to the face and the Billion Dollar Princess' announcement that her father, Vince McMahon, will be in the arena later Monday night.

Grade

B-

Analysis

Reigns still talked too much here, but his tone and delivery were much-improved over recent weeks. Stephanie talked down to him and then was put in the position to look superior to the biggest star of the show. It was a small negative, especially since Stephanie typically comes off that way in most of the segments she is involved in, but it was a negative nonetheless.

Still, the segment set up a much-bigger and more important segment later in the show, which was short and sweet on top of that. Thus, it earns a fairly positive grade, despite its flaws.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Dean Ambrose vs. Dolph Ziggler

The night's opening match featured two of the company's best workers, so the fact was it was fun, energetic and a quality bout to boot.

The Superstars traded control of the bout until Owens hit the ring and flattened intercontinental champion Dean Ambrose with his Pop-up Powerbomb finisher. Dolph Ziggler, the challenger in the contest, attempted to make the save but found himself laid out as well.

Owens left Ambrose lying in a heap to close out the segment.
 

Result

Dean Ambrose defeated Dolph Ziggler via disqualification.

Grade

B+

Analysis

Not only were fans treated to a solid wrestling match between Ambrose and Ziggler, but they also witnessed the return of the dangerous and violent Kevin Owens who has been missing in action for months.

The desire to be champion he showed while holding onto the IC title before tossing it aside to avenge his defeat and humiliation at the hands of Ambrose was a great touch. He proved that while the allure of gold is strong, his pride is of the utmost importance.

It was a great segment for Owens, who desperately needed to earn back some heat after the last few weeks of television.

R-Truth vs. Bo Dallas

In a match between two guys who have not been relevant in weeks, R-Truth battled Bo Dallas in singles competition.

As Dallas lapped the ring, cameras caught Vince McMahon's arrival to the arena, and moments later, the boss made his way to the ring, bringing an end to the contest at hand. He ordered the Superstars out of the ring and prepared to address the WWE Universe.

McMahon said someone backstage was sweating and then decided he would take a seat at ringside and wait patiently as the show headed to commercial break.

Result

No-Contest

Grade

F

Analysis

There is a reason fans and critics don't take guys like Bo Dallas and R-Truth seriously, and this is prime example of it. They were disrespected and humiliated and dismissed from the ring while they were wrestling a match.

That killed those two wrestlers' momentum, though that is not the first time that has happened to benefit the McMahon character.

Roman Reigns and Vince McMahon Face-to-Face

Roman Reigns made his way to the ring, confronting WWE's most powerful man—Vince McMahon.

Sheamus interrupted, talked trash about beating Reigns at TLC and then suggested a WWE World Heavyweight Championship match for Monday night.

McMahon denied the request, telling Reigns that there was no chance in hell that he would receive his title opportunity.

Reigns insulted the boss' "grapefruits," referring to them as prunes, which touched a nerve with the Chairman of the Board.

McMahon granted the match, said if Reigns does not win the title he's fired and then finished by delivering a low blow to the company's top babyface.

Grade

D

Analysis

This was much less effective than the opener in that it made Vince McMahon the centerpiece. It was less about Reigns and Sheamus than it was reestablishing the McMahon persona—the go-to for WWE Creative when ratings tank.

It was detrimental to the growth of Reigns, who was coming off a fantastic night at TLC, and Sheamus, who is the heavyweight champion of the world.

A cheap low blow to Reigns did not help matters.

This was very much a segment that existed to stroke the chairman's ego when Stephanie could have easily filled the same role.

Ryback and Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio and Rusev

Two midcard feuds took center stage in a big tag team bout pitting The League of Nations' Rusev and Alberto Del Rio against Ryback and Jack Swagger.

The match was all Ryback early, with The Big Guy dominating the action until Del Rio turned the tide in favor of the heels.

The action broke down late, as is the case with most WWE-style tag bouts, and Rusev scored the victory with a big superkick to The All-American American.

Result

Alberto Del Rio and Rusev defeated Ryback and Jack Swagger.

Grade

C-

Analysis

This was a match fans have seen countless times before on Raw and SmackDown.

The heels won, which was absolutely necessary given the fact that fans are supposed to buy The League of Nations as credible main event stars, and the right guy ate the pin.

That is about the extent of the positive to come from this one, which was more of an exercise in mediocrity than any real angle advancement or character development.

Neville vs. Tyler Breeze

A rivalry that once played out in the rings of NXT took to the squared circle on Raw as Neville battled Tyler Breeze in singles competition. The Miz watched from ringside, acting as some sort of Hollywood director.

Neville finished Breeze off with a kick to the face and the Red Arrow, just seconds after The Miz yelled "cut" and provided a brief distraction.

After the match, Neville looked on disapprovingly at the Hollywood A-lister. 

Result

Neville defeated Tyler Breeze.

Grade

C-

Analysis

The biggest miscarriage of justice in this entire segment was the fact Breeze was treated as a complete afterthought—a nobody extra in The Miz-Neville show.

Arriving on the main roster three months ago after spending an eternity in NXT, he looked to be on his way to bigger and better things. A rivalry with Dolph Ziggler that culminated with him on the losing end has him wallowing away in the midcard; it's another call-up from developmental in danger of failing miserably.

The Miz was his typically great antagonist self, and Neville is one of the most underrated workers on the roster, but this segment really did nothing for any of the Superstars involved.

Extreme Rules: The Dudley Boyz, Rhyno and Tommy Dreamer vs. The Wyatt Family

In the continuation of the ECW Originals and The Wyatt Family's feud, the two teams met in a Extreme Rules match Monday night.

Philadelphia, home to so many epic extreme bouts over the years, bore witness to another hardcore brawl between two teams with nothing but hatred for each other.

At one point, it appeared as though The Dudley Boyz were about to capture the win following a 3D to Luke Harper through a table, but Wyatt pulled the referee out of the ring, breaking up the pinfall.

Moments later, Erick Rowan splashed Rhyno through a table and scored the win for the heels, seemingly bringing a decisive conclusion to their feud. 

Result

The Wyatt Family defeated The Dudley Boyz, Rhyno and Tommy Dreamer.

Grade

B+

Analysis

This was the wild and chaotic brawl that will always play well in Philadelphia, thanks to the fans' blood-thirsty nature in that city. It was a far more energetic and better match than their TLC tables bout.

Rowan got his heat back just one night after being the only team eliminated from The Wyatt Family Sunday night, and he did so by beating the most expendable of the babyfaces in Rhyno.

Where The Wyatt Family goes from here is the big question, while The Dudley Boyz once again find themselves without any real direction following a second consecutive loss to their rivals.

The New Day Promo

Credit: WWE.com

One night after retaining their WWE Tag Team Championships against The Lucha Dragons and The Usos in a ladder match, The New Day hit the ring minus their typical ridiculousness. Kofi Kingston, Big E and Xavier Woods spoke sincerely as they relived the match and then called their opponents to the ring.

They applauded them and showed humility by shaking their hands and crediting the fans with inspiring the six of them to do what they did.

After the babyfaces left the ring, The New Day celebrated, only to be taken down and out by the men they waged war with one night earlier.

Grade

C

Analysis

This was interesting in that it showed a different side of The New Day. The members were legitimately sincere while addressing their opponents and the fans, only stopping to celebrate after everyone had cleared the ring.

Then, the babyfaces returned to attack them and end the segment on that note.

If the intention was to turn The New Day into sympathetic faces, this worked. If they were supposed to be presented as disingenuous heels, it missed its mark, especially since they came across as more likable than the four guys who jumped them at the end of the segment.

The segment's unique dynamic helped it in the grade department, but there were certain elements that just did not make sense.

Given the recent WWE Creative booking, it should not surprise anyone.

Charlotte and Becky Lynch vs. Brie Bella and Alicia Fox

Credit: WWE.com

Team B.A.D. watched from ringside, with tickets in their hands, as Charlotte and Becky Lynch rekindled their friendship in tag team action against Team Bella's Brie Bella and Alicia Fox.

Ric Flair at ringside and the effect he would have on the outcome of the match was the story of the match once more.

The Nature Boy would make his presence felt late in the bout, hooking the foot of Fox as she mounted some offense. This allowed Lynch to lock in the Disarmer and score the submission victory, without knowing that she had attained the win through nefarious means.

Result

Charlotte and Becky Lynch defeated Brie Bella and Alicia Fox. 

Grade

D

Analysis

For the second consecutive night, the women of WWE were intentionally overshadowed by a 66-year-old man who has not been an active worker on a regular basis since 2008. 

How can company even suggest that it is firmly behind a Divas Revolution of any sort when the lead character is a female who could not get over on her own, so she reaps the heat of her legendary father?

Chants of "we want Sasha" again rang out, proving the company continues to ignore the most over woman in the company while dragging the division back into the doldrums it once called home, prior to the NXT talent's arrival.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Sheamus

Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images

Roman Reigns' journey to the top of World Wrestling Entertainment climaxed Monday night when he defeated Sheamus to capture the World Heavyweight Championship.

Despite Vince McMahon's and The League of Nations' Rusev and Alberto Del Rio's attempts to screw him out of the title he has had stolen from him so many times here in 2015, he Superman Punched his way to victory and delivered a massive spear to end The Celtic Warrior's month-long reign.

Fans erupted as the referee's hand slapped the mat for the third time, and Lilian Garcia announced the second-generation star as the new champion, which is a sharp contrast to the chorus of boos that greeted his Royal Rumble victory in the same arena.

Reigns posed with the title to end the show and ignite a new WWE era. 

Result

Roman Reigns defeated Sheamus to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Grade

A

Analysis

This was masterful storytelling that finally accomplished everything WWE has attempted to do with Reigns over the last year. There was a clear heel in McMahon that Reigns could play off, a physical equal in Sheamus and enough drama from well-timed spots that the fans ate up every bit of it.

The audience's reaction to Reigns' title win suggests that it was begging to cheer him, that it wanted to accept him in the role of the new face of the company, but management gave it no reason to. That changed, and the result was one of the most memorable moments of the year.

Reigns winning the title sets in motion fresh storylines, and it's the first time since WrestleMania that a heel champion will not dominate Raw.