WWE Raw Results: Biggest Winners, Losers and Moments from May 22

The march toward Extreme Rules continued Monday night as WWE Raw steadily built the stories and Superstars that will play an integral role in the upcoming June 4 pay-per-view event.

The five Superstars who will battle for the right to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at Extreme Rules were under the same roof Monday night, and while that made for some chaotic atmosphere, ultimately only one of them was able to achieve "winner" status.

Which of the prospective No. 1 contenders had an eventful night that included his star being elevated exponentially in a single interview? Was it Bray Wyatt, Samoa Joe, Seth Rollins, Finn Balor or Roman Reigns who stole headlines and earned the most recognition?

Joining that competitor on the winner's side of things were two fellow NXT exports.

One of whom, "The Drifter" Elias Samson, finally made his in-ring debut against intercontinental champion Dean Ambrose in a non-title match. The other? The resident Raw women's champion, Little Miss Bliss herself, Alexa Bliss.

Not everyone was so lucky.

Which Superstars found themselves on the loser's end, their booking generating confusion this close to a significant pay-per-view extravaganza the likes of Extreme Rules?

Find out now with this recap of the May 22 episode of WWE's flagship broadcast.

Winner: Finn Balor

Finn Balor withstood the opposition of Karl Anderson, pinning his longtime friend and Bullet Club teammate with the Coup de Grace Monday night. Before the match, though, he was the subject of praise and endorsement from the returning Paul Heyman.

The advocate for universal champion Brock Lesnar met Balor in the squared circle. He proceeded to put the Irishman over as the best all-around wrestler in WWE today and, more importantly, his pick to win the Fatal 5-Way No. 1 contender's match at Extreme Rules because of the intrigue a Balor-Lesnar match drums up.

Heyman, the silver-tongued serpent, did a better job of putting Balor over in one 10-minute segment of television than WWE Creative has done with the NXT export since his return from injury the night after WrestleMania 33.

Balor has a connection with wrestling diehards and is incredibly over when he dons the face paint of The Demon. But when it comes to the masses, they still need convincing as to why they should throw their support behind Balor when more established guys like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose share the same roster.

Heyman has a credibility among fans. Sending him to the ring to put Balor over was a smart move that allows him to share some of that credibility with a performer who is, for all intents and purposes, one of the coolest and most engaging performers on the entire WWE roster.

Furthermore, it created legitimate excitement about a potential Balor vs. Lesnar showdown. Whether that occurs immediately following Extreme Rules or Balor emerges as a top contender somewhere down the line, the interaction between the leader of Balor Club and the head honcho behind ECW indicates it will happen sooner or later.

And that is a very good thing for a Balor poised to make a significant run through Raw in the foreseeable future.

Loser: Sasha Banks

In the wake of WrestleMania 33, Sasha Banks had been directionless, one of the most talented female performers of her generation lost in the shuffle and stuck feuding with Alicia Fox and boyfriend Noam Dar in a C-level women's program.

That is not at all meant as a dig at Fox or Dar. Both are underutilized. The manner in which they have been used, though, suggests they are at a position on the card Banks has no business being.

The Boss is a ferocious, intense performer who has etched her name in the history books more than once over the last year, headlining pay-per-views and performing in numerous "firsts" alongside Charlotte and Bayley. Wasting someone of her talents while Superstars like Nia Jax and Mickie James are left without suitable competition is unconscionable.

Yes, WWE Raw officials are slow-burning a story that will ultimately see Banks get frustrated with her place on the roster and betray friend Bayley, kicking off a heel turn and rivalry that will see her restore her heat. If those in charge of writing are not careful, though, the Superstar will become inconsequential enough that such a return to relevancy, as a heel and feuding with Bayley, will be a tougher sell than it would have been if it had been executed when she was at her hottest.

A program with Fox, no matter how talented she may be, is not the way to rediscover momentum.

Winner: Elias Samson

You knew "The Drifter" Elias Samson would make his in-ring debut on Raw sooner or later, but you may not have expected him to be thrown in the ring with current intercontinental champion Dean Ambrose. Yet, there the former NXT sideshow was, mixing it up with The Lunatic Fringe in one of Monday's longer matches.

Not only that, but Samson was allowed to look like Ambrose's equal. He controlled the majority of the match, getting over his cerebral and concentrated attack on the champion's injured head, neck and shoulder. Throughout the match, he looked like a Superstar capable of knocking off the leader of the Ambrose Asylum.

He ultimately did not, enduring a cheap shot from The Miz and winning the match by disqualification. He was caught in the middle of the ongoing rivalry between champion and challenger but, again, remained in the spotlight via Roll of the Dice on Ambrose, who was left lying in a heap to close out the segment.

Samson has repeatedly popped up backstage, more than once during a segment or vignette involving Miz. The staredown between the two was interesting when taking into account that tidbit of information and now creates a situation where fans are left to wonder what exactly is going on between the two of them.

Even if WWE Creative fails to follow up on that portion of the story, Samson was booked strong enough Monday night to suggest the writing team has significant plans for The Drifter into the summer.

Losers: Sheamus and Cesaro

No matter how mean and nasty Sheamus and Cesaro have gotten post-Payback heel turn, the team simply cannot beat The Hardy Boyz. They cannot do it in tag team action or singles competition, as the WWE Universe once again found out Monday night.

Sheamus lost to Matt Hardy and in the process missed out on the opportunity to name the stipulation for him and Cesaro's Raw Tag Team Championship match against the brothers at Extreme Rules.

At some point, the heels have to win.

Yes, it is understandable that management would want to protect the Hardys this early into their current run, but without a victory of any kind, even in singles competition, the challengers are incredibly weak. Considering champions are only as good as their challengers, that does not reflect well on the Hardys.

The heel turn should have made Sheamus and Cesaro nastier, meaner and more dangerous than ever. Instead, they have continued their losing ways, and no new attitude—or comically bad new look—can make up for the lack of credibility caused by their mounting losses to the tag team champions.

Winner: Alexa Bliss

Alexa Bliss' match with Mickie James was not the prettiest, most aesthetically pleasing bout of the show. It was rushed and failed to live up to some of Little Miss Bliss' more recent successes.

With that said, Bliss' character work Monday night was fantastic.

The Raw women's champion retrieved a kendo stick from underneath the ring following the bout, flashed a look of contempt and disdain for James and caught her across the back with it. The impact sent James forward and is certain to leave a painful mark.

Even better was Bliss' reaction to Bayley hitting the ring, her own kendo stick in hand.

Like any great heel cornered, her weapon turned against her, Bliss begged off before bailing to the arena floor.

Bliss was so good and cowardly Monday night that fans will tune into Extreme Rules to see her finally get her comeuppance in the form of that same kendo stick crashing into her petite frame. Bayley will draw some of the biggest reactions of her main roster run because the audience will legitimately want to see Bliss punished for her actions and arrogance.

On a show that often outsmarts itself through overly complicated booking, that is wrestling storytelling 101 and will ultimately benefit both Bliss and Bayley come June 4.