WWE WrestleMania 2017: AJ Styles and the Biggest Winners and Losers from PPV

WWE promised to take fans on the Ultimate Thrill Ride at WrestleMania 33—but there were more than a few bumpy moments along the way on Sunday night.

In truth, the biggest pay-per-view of the year was a mixed bag. There were great, feelgood moments. There were also massive missed opportunities and disappointing matches.

There's little doubt when the standout moment of the night came, and the fact it was in the midcard illustrated how much the main bouts flattered to deceive.

Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from WrestleMania 33, with plenty in each category to choose from.

Winner: AJ Styles

It was perhaps the most predictable result of the night, but in many ways, it was easily one of the most important.

Defeat for AJ Styles at WrestleMania was simply unthinkable. But the more interesting viewpoint was how the match would go down.

Sent on as the opener of the main show after a mixed Kickoff, it certainly didn't disappoint.

Styles and Shane McMahon sent WWE on a thrill ride with some great spots throughout, and Shane in particular more than held his own to create a captivating encounter.

The challenge for SmackDown's booking team is to plot Styles' way back into the WWE Championship picture as soon as possible.

He never deserved to be out of it in the first place.

Loser: Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt, WWE's supposed "new face of fear," has an ever-increasing losing streak at WrestleMania following Sunday's defeat to Randy Orton.

It was a major slap in the face to Wyatt and also the WWE Championship, which was effectively thrown into the midcard of the show. Wyatt should have been given the opportunity to go closer to the main event, if nothing else.

And Bray losing without anything controversial happening made little sense. Winning the belt was supposed to be the start of a brand-new era for Wyatt, who had struggled to break through into the mainstream in recent years.

Fans love him, and he's massively over. Yet losing again at 'Mania cheapened his standing in the company without question.

He will get another shot at the title at Payback in all eventuality, but not having him go over here was one of the night's biggest missed opportunities.

Winner: Kevin Owens

It's been a while since we've been able to put Kevin Owens in the winners bracket in WWE—inside the ring at least.

The build to his match with Chris Jericho was fantastic, and the bout itself didn't disappoint. On a night that felt like a mixed bag for WWE fans, this was one of the better matches.

And how KO shone. When he's booked like this, he's a joy to watch. Whether it's shouting at Chris Jericho, heckling the referee or just playing the heel to perfection, Owens looked every inch a star in this form.

Now is the time for WWE to trust him and trust he can make the United States Championship credible again. WWE's midcard titles have been completely forgotten in recent months, underlined by the fact the Intercontinental Championship bout was on the pre-show.

That needs to change.

Loser: Roman Reigns

Yet again, WWE missed a trick when it came to booking Roman Reigns.

The company is insistent on forcing him on to fans as the biggest babyface in the land. In reality, he's anything but.

This was the night when Reigns could have stolen a victory and cheated to beat The Undertaker. That would've not only sent The Deadman out with some credibility but also with the knowledge he helped craft Reigns' long-overdue heel turn.

But instead, fans got Reigns going over clean. It made little sense.

And where now? Back into a feud with Braun Strowman? This should have been a career-defining night for Reigns. Instead, it just felt like the same old shtick for The Big Dog.

WWE may well be his yard, but nobody is peering over the fence to watch Reigns with any noticeable interest.

Winners: The Hardy Boyz

Credit: WWE.com

There is no doubting when the greatest feelgood moment of the night came at WrestleMania: The Hardy Boyz's return.

As soon as their music hit, the reaction spoke volumes. Yes, it may have been heavily rumored in the build to the show that Matt and Jeff Hardy were returning, but seeing them in a WWE ring once again was a special, spine-tingling moment.

And how they delivered on their first match back home too.

They never missed a beat throughout the entirety of the contest, with the biggest spot, predictably, going to Jeff, who took a death-defying leap from the top of a ladder on to Sheamus and Cesaro.

The entire complexion of the tag division on Raw has changed. And for once, it's changed for the better.

Welcome back, Matt and Jeff.