WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from September 12

For the first time since debuting on the main roster, Sami Zayn was allowed to cut loose and talk, leading to a compelling edition of The Highlight Reel and his status as WWE Raw's biggest winner.

Zayn has been something of an enigma to this point. We know he hates Kevin Owens and is an underdog, but beyond that, WWE Creative has not worked on fleshing out his character. On Monday, Zayn revealed that Chris Jericho was an inspiration for guys like Owens and himself, as both were similar journeymen who traveled the world in search of the opportunity to work for wrestling's biggest company.

As brief as it may have been, that portion of the promo made Zayn easier to relate to as a lifelong fan who chased his dream.

Just that small revelation, which diehard fans already knew but general viewers did not, will help him get over with the audience even more than he already is. His in-ring work has never been up for debate. Now management and Zayn himself must continue molding a character for him if he ever wants to be known as something more than just a "solid hand."

They got off to a solid start Monday night.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Credit: WWE.com

Much like John Cena was once the target of criticism by fans who claimed he couldn't wrestle, only to turn around and repeatedly deliver in big-match situations, Roman Reigns has made a habit of proving haters wrong with thrilling performances against talents of all shapes and styles.

On Monday night, he delivered a stellar main event with Kevin Owens that kept fans in Baltimore guessing as to who would emerge with his arm raised in victory.

Reigns may not have won, thanks to interference from Rusev, but he added yet another match to his growing resume of show-stealers. One day, he will be seen in a different light by fans who appreciate his performances between the ropes, even if they do not particularly care for his character.

Loser: Jack Swagger

Credit: WWE.com

The former world heavyweight champion was once one of the most promising young stars on the roster. An amateur wrestling prospect out of the University of Oklahoma, he had all of the physical tools necessary to dominate the sport.

Poor decisions, inconsistent booking and microphone deficiencies plagued his numerous pushes, though, and Swagger fell into irrelevance as the calendar year changed over.

Now seemingly an afterthought, Swagger entered Raw for a match with resident jobber Jinder Mahal.

He lost.

After the bout, Swagger was approached by Tom Phillips, who mentioned that his contract was running out. A visibly gassed All-American American looked at him and walked away.

Losing to Mahal is one thing. Embarking on another losing-streak gimmick is another entirely. Fans already know Swagger has been struggling with losing. Why shove it down their throats that this former world champion is wasting away in the undercard? Instead, WWE should focus on building him up for more than four weeks at a time.

As it stands now, the Swagger fans saw Monday night is a shell of his former self, and losses to Mahal, even for storyline purposes, do not help matters.

Winner: Dana Brooke

Credit: WWE.com

Raw was an important broadcast for Dana Brooke. Long Charlotte's personal assistant and protege, she has been verbally abused by the women's champion for weeks and treated like garbage by the egotistical second-generation star.

On Monday, she appeared to have had enough of it, slapping Charlotte in a moment that drew a big pop from fans.

As overbearing as Brooke's character can be, fans feel sympathy for her because no one likes to see another person degraded and berated the way she has been of late.

The former NXT star channeled that enormous moment into one of her better performances to date in a losing effort against Bayley and Sasha Banks in a Triple Threat No. 1 Contender's match.

After the match, her confidence shaken, she returned to Charlotte's side, demeaning herself to the point that she wheeled the champion's bags out of the arena.

This is how you tell a story. There is an emotional roller coaster involved. It has its ups and downs and provides audiences with a reason to invest in the man or woman at the center of it.

Brooke may not be a wrestler on the level of Banks or Bayley, but when the time comes for her to permanently break away from the entitled champion, expect her to be as over and popular as those two women, based solely on the connection fans will make with her over that span.