WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from July 25

For one year, Finn Balor was the franchise star of NXT, and Monday night, he took steps toward becoming the face of Monday Night Raw. He scored two competitive victories and cashed his ticket to SummerSlam to battle Seth Rollins for the WWE Universal Championship.

In the process, he solidified his status as the biggest winner of the July 25 edition of Raw, but only by a narrow margin.

Another breakout star from NXT captured headlines for a major championship victory Monday night.

Then there was the most notable loser, a former three-time WWE champion whose stock has fallen considerably over the last month. Despite a victory in one match, it was evident by night's end that he is still being punished for his indiscretions.

On a night when WWE promised a new era for its flagship show, it delivered with a fresh theme song, a new look and a major push for its hot young star. In the process, several big winners (and that one unfortunate loser) emerged from the pack of exclusive Raw Superstars.

Winner: Finn Balor

The Demon made the biggest splash imaginable Monday night, rolling into a Fatal 4-Way match with Kevin Owens, Cesaro and Rusev and picking up a huge victory. As a result, he would compete in the night's main event against Roman Reigns, with the opportunity to challenge Rollins for the newly created Universal Championship at stake.

Against the consistent main event star, Balor shined. He put over Reigns' power-based move set but also used his own speed and agility to offset it. In the end, he scored a clean win over Reigns, something very few have accomplished.

Rarely does WWE go out of its way to make a star look as strong on Night 1 as they did Balor Monday. Even AJ Styles had to go through a few losses to Chris Jericho before he jumped into the main event mix.

It is not a surprise that the longtime face of NXT is succeeding quickly on Raw, but no one could have expected that he would be one of two men fighting for a brand new title, the winner of a clean victory over the mighty Reigns and the de facto top babyface on Raw.

Loser: Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

WWE spent two years building Reigns into a main event attraction, the heir apparent to John Cena. He was put over virtually the entire roster and had his big WrestleMania moment this past April in front of 100,000 fans in Dallas.

Unfortunately, a Wellness Policy violation halted his momentum and left him in the proverbial dog house. Sunday night at Battleground, he ate a clean pin from Dean Ambrose. Monday, despite Reigns' Fatal 4-Way win earlier in the night, Finn Balor defeated him cleanly.

Typically, it would be no problem for an established star to put over a young guy fresh out of NXT. Cena did the same a year ago with Kevin Owens. But the way this one unfolded felt like Balor usurping Reigns as the top babyface on the roster.

The real question is, "what's next for Reigns?"

A program with Kevin Owens is an obvious choice, but the two have met up so often on free television that the likelihood it would draw interest is low. That brings us to Chris Jericho, the only fresh match awaiting Reigns—not the most dynamic possibility but one that will tide him over until he returns to the title picture. 

Winner: Sasha Banks

It took some time and patience, but The Boss is finally the women's champion following a superb match against Charlotte Monday night on Raw.

Banks tore a page out of the Eddie Guerrero handbook, making it appear as though Dana Brooke had hit her and forcing the recent NXT call-up's ejection from ringside. From there, she turned in a magnificent performance, overcoming Charlotte's best to trap her in the Bank Statement for the victory.

After coming so close at WrestleMania, Banks finally realized her childhood dream without anyone at ringside to interfere and take it away from her. The crowd reacted accordingly, greeting the title win with an extraordinary ovation.

Banks' win, like Balor's, suggests that the NXT influence on Raw and SmackDown is about to increase significantly, and rightfully so. The brand created a revolution and, more importantly, fresh new characters for fans to invest in.

That character development has bred legitimate stars and will continue do so.