WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from March 7

For AJ Styles, the March 7 episode of WWE Raw crowned him as the hottest Superstar in the company and, furthermore, the biggest winner of this week's broadcast.

The Phenomenal One received a thunderous ovation as he entered Chicago's historic Allstate Arena, and then he unleashed on The New Day in search of his first championship in Vince McMahon's sports-entertainment empire. He broke out maneuvers not yet seen to this point, including his springboard 450 splash and the Phenomenon, nearly putting Big E away with the former.

But a championship victory was not to be. Instead, Styles was sent hard into the guardrail as Big E pinned his partner, Chris Jericho, to retain the WWE Tag Team Championships for The New Day in a superb wrestling match.

That was not the end of Styles' night, though. The former TNA and Ring of Honor star was on the receiving end of a Codebreaker and humiliation at the hands of his partner, who was jealous over the fact that his reaction from the Chicago fans was not up to par with Styles'.

The post-match antics may have left Styles lying in the center of the ring, but it also set him up for a high-profile match against Jericho at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas.

Just over one month into his WWE run, Styles has been protected in booking, has been treated like a star and has engaged in a feud with a first-ballot Hall of Famer. After his newsworthy night in the Windy City, he is well on his way to the sort of successful WWE run that so many longtime fans had hoped for.

Joining Styles on the winner's side of things was The Lunatic Fringe, a former NXT champion, a maniacal cult-like figure with a sudden interest in championship gold and a ravishing Russian on her way back to relevance.

Not so lucky, though, was WWE's resident Showoff and a fellow Superstar who is seemingly cloned from his DNA.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Dean Ambrose

WWE Creative once again did a fantastic job of presenting Ambrose as a credible threat to Triple H's world heavyweight title.

Fans want to root for Ambrose; their appreciation for his underdog act and never-say-die attitude is obvious. He is over in a way that cannot be manufactured, because his body language and facial expressions tell his story better than commentators or writers ever could.

Expect to see a Toronto crowd absolutely rabid for The Lunatic Fringe and his quest to win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship from the chief operating officer of the company on Saturday night. Ambrose may or may not leave the Great White North with gold, but his appeal to fans will be difficult for WWE to ignore on the Road to WrestleMania.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Bray Wyatt

Ambrose's Raw opponent Bray Wyatt returns to the winner's circle this week on the strength of a post-match staredown between him and Triple H. Fans unleashed a loud "YES!" chant upon Wyatt's confrontation with The Game—something witnessed for the first time back at the Royal Rumble in January.

At the Rumble, Triple H eliminated Wyatt and cost him the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Monday night, The Reaper of Souls eerily ran his hand over the title, smiling at The King of Kings before ordering his followers out of the ring.

The strong reaction that Wyatt received for his showdown with the champion did not go unnoticed by WWE management. For the first time since that initial staredown, Wyatt revisited the "down with the machine" sentiment that fueled his Family early in their run. Fans dug it; they wanted to see Wyatt mix it up with Triple H, and management almost certainly took notice.

With a main event between Triple H and Roman Reigns not necessarily looking as predestined as it once did, would it really surprise anyone if Wyatt found his way into that bout somehow? Considering he has nothing else better to do, it is possible, especially on the heels of this week's broadcast.

Credit: WWE.com

Loser: Dolph Ziggler

Rarely does WWE Creative remember enough about the past to revisit it in an ongoing storyline, so it was interesting to see Dolph Ziggler's opposition of The Authority, his victory at the 2014 Survivor Series and forced ousting of them for a few weeks brought back into focus.

What was disappointing, though, was the lack of reaction for Ziggler as he battled The League of Nations in a handicap elimination match—the result of a confrontation with Stephanie McMahon backstage.

One of the perpetually over stars on the roster, he was greeted with a lethargic welcome. The crowd met his courageous battle against Sheamus, Rusev and King Barrett with apathy.

WWE has repeatedly heated Ziggler up and cooled him off so many times that the audience is no longer willing to invest in him. Fans do not want to waste their support on a guy that management has no faith in.

It is a rough spot for The Showoff, who continues to work hard and have strong matches with just about everyone.

Credit: WWE.com

Loser: Tyler Breeze

Ziggler's "mini me" Tyler Breeze also ends up on the loser side of things this week. His two-minute loss to Kalisto was the latest chapter in a disappointing main roster run.

Prince Pretty's call-up from NXT has been disastrous. The initial excitement surrounding his debut is a thing of the past as he wallows in WWE's undercard.

As one of the most talented wrestlers in the company and a Superstar who is invested in his gimmick, it is so disappointing to see what his career has become. Perhaps a return to NXT as its elder statesman and cornerstone of the brand would be the best move for him at this point, because nothing he is doing on the main roster is worth sticking around for on Raw and SmackDown.

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Lana

For someone who disappeared from television after revealing her engagement to Rusev and ruining months of storytelling, Lana appears to have recovered just fine and is now on her way to a WrestleMania match of some sort involving budding rival Brie Bella.

The Ravishing Russian channeled the 1980s Coney Island girl she was during her brief flirtation as Ziggler's girlfriend last summer and delivered an X-Factor to Bella, using her own finishing maneuver against her in an ultimate sign of disrespect.

A feud that began when the women traded barbs about each other's husband, it is hardly the stuff of epic WrestleMania lore, but it does return Lana to the spotlight and give her an opportunity to compete in her first match. That it comes on the grandest stage in professional wrestling only helps solidify her as one of the biggest winners of the March 7 episode...even if she is destined to lose the match solely to give Bella that WrestleMania moment before she steps away from the ring later this summer. 

Credit: WWE.com

Winner: Sami Zayn

The former NXT champion received the biggest ovation of the night as he made his return to Monday Night Raw and immediately targeted intercontinental champion Kevin Owens. The former friends-turned-hated enemies have history dating back to NXT, and their issues again spilled over to WWE programming, with the Montreal native unloading on Owens and sending him scurrying to the back for safety.

In the process, Zayn introduced himself as a potential candidate for the intercontinental title at WrestleMania.

Almost one year after having his dreams of achieving greatness on the main roster halted by a shoulder injury, he now finds himself in position to wrestle his first pay-per-view match on the grandest stage imaginable.

He and Owens could well steal the show out from underneath every other performer on the card, a feat most Superstars outside the main events strive to achieve.